Robin's Sister
by sugar1113
Summary: What would happen if Richard Grayson had a sister but she wasn't brought in to the bat-family? This is the story of Cathleen Grayson and the backlash from her secret escapades as a hero. Because she never tipped off the 'world's greatest detective', she is going to be in for a wild ride after her secret is finally revealed. Rated T because I'm paranoid. This is my first Fanfiction.
1. Chapter 1

The rain outside was pounding against the roof, but neither Richard nor Cathleen Grayson noticed in their silent mourning. They had recently been adopted by Bruce Wayne, the prince of gotham, after their parent's tragic death. Bruce, who had also been orphaned at an early age, knew what they were going through and he didn't want them to be separated in foster care, so he had adopted both young children and tried to welcome them into his home. He knew that the kids would have a hard time adjusting, but he was willing to make the effort to bring them back to the smiling kids they had been just three weeks before at the Haly's Circus. Bruce felt terrible for the two children, their identical startling blue eyes were surrounded by irritatedly puffed up skin from lack of sleep and crying. The only difference between the two siblings was their hair, Richard's black hair was a sharp contrast from Cathleen's sun-bleached blonde hair. The two siblings were quite similar in face shape, build, and eye color, and from the front it was easy to tell that they were siblings but from the back their hair made it harder to assume that both children were in fact related. Richard was only eight but he had been very quick to comfort his six-year-old sister whenever tears threatened.

"Master Bruce, I believe it is time that we started to bring these children back to happier states," Alfred stated startling Bruce out of his thoughts. He sighed.

"I believe you are right, Alfred, I have waited long enough and if we don't do anything now, I fear we will never be able to make either one of them smile" Bruce said softly. Neither of the siblings made any indication to show that they had heard the two adults and stayed in their seats staring at their dinners.

 **One Week Later**

The two children had actually been very quick to pick themselves back up after Bruce had sat down with them to tell them that their parents "would have wanted them to be happy and continue to enjoy life." He had taken the kids down to where their parents had been buried because he knew from experience that it helped to voice their thoughts to their parents, even if they weren't actually visibly present. He stood off to the side as the two children talked silently in Romanian. He made a note to try and learn the language so he could converse with them and make them feel more welcomed. He was currently sitting on a bench, but he pushed himself to his feet once he checked his watch. The two siblings noticed and walked back over to Bruce.

"Are you ready to head home?" he asked softly.

"Yes… thank you for bringing us here and taking care of us, it means a lot," Richard answered while his sister nodded. Bruce gave a slight smile and led them back to the car. They talked about the recent escapades of Batman and Bruce was happy to find that Richard thought of the caped-crusader as an amazing hero. Cathleen spoke softly and added that she felt a lot safer knowing he was always there patrolling the streets of Gotham. They talked lightly through the rest of the car ride and Bruce led them upstairs to get ready for bed. After they were ready, he tucked both children in and paused at the door. They had taken to sleeping together, to keep the nightmares away, and he felt very peaceful looking at their sleeping forms. He whispered a quiet goodbye to the two children as he slipped off to the batcave.

It would be later that Richard found out about these nightly activities and became the Boy Wonder, Robin. It would be later still that Cathleen found out about her adoptive father and brother's nightly excursions. Knowing that the two very overprotective males would forbid her from coming into the hero business with them in Gotham, she would go on to create a new alias as the Gray Dove and protecting the city 20 miles north of Gotham, Carricksvile. She took martial arts classes in secret and perfected her every fighting skill as well as acrobatic skills. She would create her own weapons, devices, and costume all without the knowledge of her brother and adoptive father. She would then, for the next few years, pretend to fall asleep; wait until the bats had left; throw on her own costume; take her motorbike up to Carricksvile; and patrol until about four (which was when the bats would return) and head home to make it look as though she had never been out.

Cathleen was always very careful about her hero identity; she had managed to become the unofficial guardian of Carricksvile, she had managed to convince every news outlet to not post any front-page articles about her, and she had managed to do this almost every night without any suspicion from the Dynamic Duo. Though she didn't do it alone.

After Cathleen's first attempts at being a hero had widely different outcomes, her friend Kayla found out and decided to step in. Kayla had light brown shoulder length hair and hazel eyes that showed she wanted to be everyone's friend, but underneath the preppy-girl facade, she had a brilliant mind and was able to hack any computer system and analyze any situation. Kayla became Gray Dove's main asset, with the ability to help Cathleen get to where she was needed and understand any situation, Kayla was Cathleen's "Eyes." The two friends created their own personal earpieces and cameras to help communication between the two become instantaneous. Every night Cathleen would drop Kayla at the "Safe House" which was a couple of rooms in a secluded abandoned building where Kayla used six different computers to monitor the new heroine. Cathleen also kept other supplies at the Safe House for when she was injured, her costume was torn, or her weapons/devices broke.

The two girls would become amazing at their job and eventually ensure that Carricksvile was the safest city in the U. S., an accomplishment which led the two best friends to eventually try to expand their horizons.

 **A couple of years later**

"Come on Dick! We are going to be late for school!" Cathleen yelled. She was waiting in the entrance hall of Wayne Manor with her backpack already propped up on her shoulder. She kept checking her watch impatiently. _Why did brothers always have to be so annoying?_ she asked herself. _Most brothers probably aren't crime fighting vigilantes though_ she contradicted. She had an extreme irritation due to the fact that after five years, Bruce and Richard still hadn't told her about their nightly activities. She knew they were trying to protect her but she hated that they tried to keep this a secret from her, even though she did know their secret identities and only pretended not to know. She was snapped out of her thoughts by an amused voice from behind her.

"You seem to be in a hurry this morning, Cathleen" Bruce exclaimed in an amused tone. She smiled and gave him a quick hug.

"Thanks Daddy, but we are really going to be late if my 'darling' brother doesn't hurry up" she replied tersely. He gave her a knowing smile which prompted her to head out to the limo. A minute later she was joined by her brother. He did not look like he had gotten very much sleep and she frowned as she speculated what was bothering him.

"Something wrong?" she asked kindly. He rolled his eyes and ruffled through his pockets for his phone. She peeked over to look and saw that he was texting Wally. She liked the ginger even if he was a speedster and would probably never actually share his identity as Kid Flash with her. She settled back into the seat deep in thought. She was going to be a freshman at Gotham High and her brother was going to be a sophomore, both she and her brother had moved up a couple grades because of their brilliant minds. She was two years younger than her brother physically but she had ended up only one year behind him in school because she wanted to stay with her friend Kayla. Both girls were eleven but they had moved up to high school after the schools decided they were smart enough to skip up three grades. Cathleen was excited to see her friend since Kayla was the only person she could talk to about her super-hero life.

As the car pulled up to the school, Cathleen jumped out and did a quick scan of the courtyard in front of her. She spotted Kayla and let a grin spread across her face. She hurried over and they dropped into their usual conversation easily.

"How was your night, Kitty Cat?" Kayla asked. Kayla had called her "Kitty Cat" ever since they were ten while almost everyone else called her "Lee."

"Not bad, K, how did you sleep? I heard that last night was eventful?" Cathleen replied evenly.

"We took care of everything in Carricksvile, but I'm getting bored. We should try one of the other cities near Gotham. I mean, there isn't any reason the guardian bird can't spread the love" she said meaningfully. Cathleen thought about this and realized the logic in her statement. _As long as I stay out of Gotham and don't do anything big, I shouldn't draw any attention from the Bat and my brother_. She voiced her agreement and they switched to other topics as more students arrived at school.

The bell rang and they hurried to their first class: English.

{ Hey readers! How was that as a first chapter? I promise to post the next one soon and I will answer any questions/thoughts/suggestions/ideas here at the Review Area. Please review and give me some motivation to get started. I should have the next few chapters posted really quickly but later it might take longer because we are headed back to school. Please Review! ~ Sugar }


	2. Chapter 2

{Welcome back my readers! The weird parentheses is what I will use to signal my messages, just in case I need to clarify anything. Anyways, the normal parentheses is what will signal different languages being spoken, I will always put the *language being spoken* in stars along with the direct translation at the bottom. If this is cool for you I will continue to do so, if not, please tell me. I am going to refer to Cathleen as Gray Dove whenever she has her mask on, no exceptions. I am also operating under the assumption that Richard became Robin when he was ten and Cathleen became Gray Dove when she was eight. As always, please review! ~ Sugar }

Since it was nearing winter break, they were taking semester exams to judge the progress of the students. The students were supposed to do their tests in their home room and then they were free to do as they pleased. The home room teachers would hand the student their tests and the student would find an empty desk to work. This was only monday and they still had a week and a half left of school before winter break. Gotham High was doing the tests earlier this year because they wanted to be able to hand back the test results before the holidays. The classroom was silent as Cathleen entered and she took her tests from the teacher. She took a seat by the window and began to work.

She finished after about three hours and headed to the library. She had told Bruce that she would be spending the rest of the day with Kayla but she was actually going to be training with her unofficial mentor. Although Kayla would be there with them, Cathleen still felt a small pang of guilt for not telling Bruce about her actual plans.

"Ready for training?" Kayla asked from her spot in one of the library's comfy chairs.

"Definitely" Cathleen replied with a grin.

 _ **Flashback from two years prior**_

" _Hello, little dove" a voice called from behind her. Gray Dove whirled around with knives in hand._

" _Relax, girlie. I just want to chat" the voice belonged to a brown-haired woman in all black tight-fitting clothes. The woman's eyes were covered by a pair of dark tinted sunglasses._

 _Cathleen lowered her weapons and cocked her head, inviting the lady to continue._

" _I am Fox, a lowly member of the League of Assassins. Now before you run off, I want to tell you that I mean you no harm for two reasons" Fox's tone was very light as though she was talking to an old friend. She paused and then continued._

" _The first reason is that the League has no business with you since you have not caused us problems and you are so very young. The second reason is that I have taken an interest in you and I would like to train you to become a better fighter" Fox talked at a normal pace and was very patient in waiting for the young girl to answer._

" _Why would you want to train me?" Gray Dove asked hesitantly._

" _Because you show a lot of potential and because I am bored" Fox answered easily._

" _But wouldn't training me be against the League of Assassins' policies?" Gray Dove questioned._

" _Not at all, in fact, since you couldn't be more than twelve, the League wouldn't care. Plus, we might be able to recruit you later" Fox said with a laugh. Gray Dove bit her lip to keep from blurting out that she was actually nine and that she would never join a criminal organization. She considered Fox's offer and decided that it would probably be good for her. She told Fox that she agreed with the prospect of a mentor and Fox smiled really widely._

" _Here kiddo, this is for getting in touch with me so you can train" Fox said tossing her a small communicator with a wink. Gray Dove thanked her and promised she would try to train as often as she could._

 _ **End of flashback**_

They had just arrived at the Safe House and Cathleen was putting away her motorbike when she heard exited talking from the training room. Fox was showing Kayla a new watch that had a ton of cool electronic features. Cathleen smiled and put on her mask as she walked into the room and tapped her foot impatiently. Fox looked to her and raised an eyebrow.

"Okay little miss impatience, I'm assuming you are ready to get started?" Fox questioned with a sly grin. Gray Dove gave a slight nod and Fox launched into her next exercise.

After a few hours of sparring, they sat down at the table to get some water.

"You are doing extremely well at this, most League trainees take a lot longer to master these techniques and you are learning them at a younger age than most" Fox complimented her. Gray Dove rolled her eyes at the praise and tried to change the subject.

"Batman and Robin still haven't told me and I'm beginning to suspect they never will" she said sadly.

"Who cares what they think? You only have a few years until you are legally an adult and you can tell them your secret without fear that they will force you to give up your superhero life" Fox scoffed. Gray Dove sighed, _Fox believes that I'm fourteen and she doesn't understand that the thing I really want is for my family to trust me_.

"Hey, Fox, I was wondering if you knew anything about the new team of sidekicks" Kayla called out from the computer room. Gray Dove's head snapped up. _A team of sidekicks? What was this about?_

"Indeed I have, Kayla. The Justice League has created a covert team made up of the young protegees. I believe they did this so that the young heros would be able to complete missions without actually joining the real league" Fox answered calmly. _No wonder Dick has been so tired and absent, he's hanging out with his new besties!_ Gray Dove felt a little hurt that she was unable to join her brother having fun with his team.

"OMG! I know what we can do! We can have Gray Dove join the team so she can be recognized as a real hero!" kayla said excitedly.

"I don't know, K. I mean, how would I even introduce myself?" Gray Dove asked skeptically.

"I believe this would be a great idea, you need to interact with other young heroes. And you could always just pop up by hacking the zeta tubes in the mountain" Fox put in. Gray Dove contemplated this then paused as a thought struck her.

"Wait, Fox. You said the mountain, and I am assuming that means the JLA's old base, but how did you know it was brought back into use?" She questioned. Fox laughed.

"We assassins like to gossip and yes we are talking about the base in Happy Harbor" Fox supplied. Gray Dove sighed, she knew that the matter had already been decided but she was fearful that Batman or Robin would suspect her and make her put up the mask. She was also confused as to how she would convince the Team that she could be trusted. When she voiced this thought, Fox easily came up with an answer.

"That Red Arrow knows your real identity and why you kept it a secret, he can vouch for you" she replied. Gray Dove sighed again, resigned to her fate. There was no way to get out of it and Kayla would pester her until she went. She went over to the computer and started to hack.

Despite the fact that she usually relied on Kayla to do the techy stuff, Gray Dove was actually an amazing hacker and it only took her a few minutes to add herself into the zeta-tube database.

"Well, all that's left is to pay a visit to Red" She said lightly.

 **The next day**

Cathleen had told Bruce she was going to pay a visit to Roy and he was all for it, knowing that the two had been good friends for years. Roy was one of the three people who actually knew her secret identity as Gray Dove. Kayla and herself being the other two. Fox had suspected cathleen at one point but had thrown out the possibility thinking Gray Dove was actually older by three years. As she rode her motorbike to Star City, she mentally checked her provisions. She was going to be staying for the weekend to convince him and take a trip to the mountain. Once she was doubly sure that she had everything, she let her mind wander back to when she had told Roy her secret identity.

 _ **Flashback**_

 _She had been a target for a kidnapping since she was Bruce Wayne's ward. The kidnappers had tied her to a chair and gagged her. She was thinking of all the ways to kill the weirdos when Speedy had come into the room._

 _He had been fighting the bad men when his mask had fallen off. He looked straight at her and put it back on quickly. He untied her and used the ropes to tie up the unconscious kidnappers. He had brought her outside to wait for the cops and he started to try and explain himself._

" _Roy, I know. Can you keep a secret?" she asked. He nodded._

" _Even from Batman and Robin?" He paused and then nodded again._

" _Okay, well, I know Bruce is Batman and Dick is Robin. I wanted to become a superhero with them but I knew they wouldn't let me, so I became Gray Dove, the superhero of Carricksvile. They don't know about that and they also don't know I know about their nightly escapades. Please keep this a secret. They would kill me and take away my super-identity if they found out." She told him quickly. He had nodded and promised to keep her secret as long as she kept his. They had been fast friends ever since then._

 _ **End of flashback**_

She finished up her thoughts as she turned into the parking lot for his apartment. She raced up the stairs but then hesitated slightly at the door. She steeled her nerves and opened the door.

"Lee? That you?" she heard him call.

"Yeah, it's me, Ginger Snap"she called back; using the nickname she had given him when they first met four years ago. He walked into the main entryway with a slight smirk on his face.

"Now while I appreciate the visit, I know you don't usually leave Carricksvile without a reason. Care to explain?" he asked politely. He led her into the living room as she explained the plan.

"...So will you help me?" she finished. He faked pondering the idea as she got more anxious. He finally nodded and said "Yes I suppose I could help you." she rolled her eyes and they talked about doing it tomorrow. They then moved onto other topics and talked until it was late at night.

She yawned and said goodnight as she made a makeshift bed on his couch. He kissed her forehead and said something else, but she was already asleep.

{How was that? Please review ~ Sugar }


	3. Chapter 3

{Hello Readers! This is my first fanfic and I am super hyped because I already have two favorites on my story! Thanks to **DaCatOfAdventure** and **NightmareOnElmStreetFan**! I haven't gotten any reviews yet but I am hoping someone would be kind enough to comment, even if you are just saying how you feel about the story. I had the main idea for the story, but I need some prompts for future chapters. I know that the story hasn't been up for very long, but I promise that I will update at every chance I get. There should be at least four updates a week. Please help and review! ~ Sugar }

"Okay, what am I going to say if Bats asks about Cathleen?" Red Arrow asked Gray Dove.

"Tell him that you both stayed up really late talking and that you believe she will sleep til at least noon" she replied without missing a beat. He appeared to be a bit nervous, but he gave her a cocky grin as he stepped into the old telephone booth. She heard the automated voice announce his presence and started to step forward. She paused then steeled her nerves. She stated her name and felt a tingly sensation wash over her as the zeta transported her to the mountain.

She appeared in at the far wall of a large room. In one corner there was sofas and a large TV and a kitchen area was adjacent to the room. She turned and walked towards the other side of the room where Red Arrow was standing with Batman and the sidekicks around a huge computer. Red Arrow gave her a smile as he began the introductions.

"Team, this is Gray Dove. She is a good friend of mine and has been protecting the city of Carricksvile, New Jersey, for about three years now. It had come to my attention that since she was still too young to be a Justice League member, she could join your team. Gray Dove is quite experienced and she is very trustworthy. I know that some of you might find it hard to trust her since I was the mole and I betrayed you all the last time, but I urge you to try and befriend Gray Dove, she has become one of my greatest allies and I would trust her with anything" Red Arrow said evenly. Gray Dove blushed at the praise and ducked her head so she could hide her surprise at Red Arrow's words. The Team all started to talk at once, trying to make better understanding of the situation. Batman silenced them all with a look and started to talk.

"Red Arrow has vouched for Gray Dove, so I believe that she will be allowed on the team as a temporary member. She shall be given three months and in that time, she will be able to prove herself. If in that time, she is proven to be completely trustworthy as Red Arrow says she is, then she will be added to the team. But let me make this clear, any sort of screw up could lead to her being kicked off the team. I want to believe Red Arrow, but I also want us to be cautious." Batman finished talking and strode out of the room towards the zeta tubes. Red arrow gave Gray Dove a quick smile and dashed out as well. She turned towards the team and waited for their questions. It didn't take them long, and soon she was chatting about school, her favorite color, her favorite music, and her home life. She informed them that she could not risk her secret identity as she was still on probation and they took the news with ease. They kept talking until Gray Dove's watch chimed.

"Whoops, I'm about to be late. It was nice talking to all of you and I'll see you soon!" she called out as she rushed to the zeta tubes. She arrived back in Star City and raced to Roy's apartment. She quickly changed into her civies {civilian clothes} and grabbed her phone from the table.

Cathleen dialed the number and let out a sigh of relief that she had made it back in time to call Bruce.

"Hey Daddy" she said as she sat down. Cathleen knew Bruce could get very overprotective and that he would worry if he didn't get a call before lunch. She started to talk easily with him and smiled as she put away her costume.

{ This story is all third person, but you can only hear a certain characters thoughts while in their POV. The story will mainly be told from Cathleen/Gray Dove's POV }

 **Robin's POV**

Something about Gray Dove bugged Robin. He couldn't tell what it was, but he felt as though he knew her from somewhere. He had just arrived back in Gotham via zeta tube and he just couldn't stop thinking about her. He was startled out of his thoughts when a hand shot out of the shadows to grab his arm.

"Relax, birdie. I only want to talk" Talia told him. Talia al Ghul was standing behind him and he was mentally panicking. She let go of him and he whirled around grabbing two birdarangs out of his utility belt and dropping into a fighting stance. Talia rolled her eyes.

"I'm here to deliver a message, nothing more" she told him.

"Who for?" he asked.

"You, little robin" he came back up into a standing position and leaned against the wall waiting for her to continue.

"I wanted to warn you. You see the Gray Dove has caught the eye of the League of Assassins and I don't want them to have her. At least not yet" she admitted calmly.

"Why would you care about Gray Dove?" he questioned.

"Because I have grown fond of the girl and I don't want to corrupt her just yet. The girl is only thirteen and I don't want her to be spoiled by the League. She is too innocent and their techniques would destroy her. I have convinced my father to wait until she turns sixteen, but after she joins your little team of sidekicks, he may not wait that long. I want you to protect her until she turns sixteen, because I do not trust my father and I want to preserve Gray Dove's pure spirit as long as I can" she replied. Robin was taken aback by the sincerity in her voice.

"How do you even know Gray dove?" He asked her. She gave him a knowing smirk before answering.

"I know Gray Dove because I have been training her for the past two years. I have her under the impression that I am Fox, a lowly member of the League of Assassins that was looking for some entertainment. I told her this fake name because at that time, I was assessing how much of a threat she would be. I offered to train her because I thought I could convert her to our cause, but she surprised me with her positivity and her kindness. I've grown to love her like my own daughter and she constantly impresses me with the ease with which she catches on to new fighting techniques. She has almost surpassed even me. I told my father of what I was doing and he has developed an interest in her. He believes she would make the perfect heiress. It would crush me if he twisted Gray Dove's kind spirit and I want to give her enough time for a normal childhood before my father takes her and bends her to his ways. Robin, I am asking you to please watch over her and keep her safe from him. At least until I am completely sure that she is ready to face his harsh training and survive intact" she told him. He was still processing what she had told him when she swept out of the alley and disappeared into the night.

{ Thanks for reading! Please review! ~ Sugar }


	4. Chapter 4

{Hello Readers! I'm feeling really just amazing because **ZabuzasGirl** told me in a REVIEW that she loved my story. Also, if I don't give a specific warning as to which character's POV it is, then it is probably Cathleen/Gray Dove's POV. Thank you for reading and please review because I need the feedback! ~ Sugar }

Cathleen woke up and skipped into Roy's kitchen; he wasn't up yet so she was going to make him breakfast. She got down all the ingredients and started some music on her phone. She sang along as the cooked and soon she had a wonderful batch of treats.

When Roy got up, he wandered into the kitchen and was pleasantly surprised at all the food in front of him. Cathleen had finished cooking a while ago and she was now sitting at the table eating breakfast. Roy grabbed a plate and filled it to the brim with French Toast Sticks, Biscuits, Scrambled Eggs, and more. Cathleen watched as he scarfed down the meal and raised an eyebrow.

"I'm assuming you liked breakfast" she said sarcastically. Roy smiled and gave her a huge smile.

"I usually just eat McDonalds so this is a big step up" he told her. She smiled and started to put away the dishes.

"I have to leave pretty soon" She said sadly. Star City was a bit of a trip from Gotham and if she wanted to make it back by tomorrow, she'd have to hurry. Bruce had told her that Dick was going to be hanging out with his friends for a science club and she once again felt sad that he didn't trust her with the truth.

Later, once she was all packed, Roy helped her to take her stuff to her motorbike. He secured her duffel bag to the back of the bike and stepped back. She hopped on and gave him a smile as she started the engine. He waved and she grinned as she pulled out of the parking lot. She loved Roy like an older brother and she enjoyed visiting him immensely. While she was driving, she thought back to when she had first met Wally West, the Kid Flash extraordinaire.

 _ **Flashback**_

 _Wally had been visiting with his Aunt Iris. His aunt was a reporter and she was doing a piece on the wards of Bruce Wayne. Immediately after seeing Wally, Dick had run up and asked him if he wanted to play some video games. Wally had agreed excitedly and Cathleen had taken a seat on the couch to watch them. Dick had creamed Wally in almost all of the video games and their bantering made it very hard to hold in laughter. Cathleen had been giggling when Dick called for a snack break. They all walked into the kitchen and Wally started to ask them questions._

" _What's your favorite color? What's your favorite video game? Do you like your school? What's your favorite subject?" he asked really quickly, not giving them a chance to respond. Both Cathleen and Dick knew that Wally was Kid Flash, but they didn't want to give away the fact that they knew, so they pretended to act shocked and flustered at his fast pace._

" _Wow, you sure talk fast" Cathleen said when he stopped for a breath. He smiled and opened his mouth to apologize, but Dick waved him off._

" _My favorite colors are red and yellow and I don't have a favorite video game. I believe that Cathleen likes aquamarine, but unlike me, she does not enjoy video games. We both like school and find our advanced classes very engaging. I don't have a favorite subject, although I believe Cathleen adores learning new languages" Dick answered in response to Wally's previous questions. Wally grinned and asked a few other questions, this time in a slower voice. Dick and Cathleen alternated answering because they knew each other so well. They all talked and laughed until Wally's aunt came to get him._

" _Hopefully we'll see each other soon and I can get redemption on the video games" Wally called over his shoulder as he walked out. Dick smirked and called out a goodbye before he headed upstairs to get ready for bed. Cathleen followed him up and walked into her own room. Later that night, she would head out as Gray Dove and stop her first drug deal_

 _ **End of flashback**_

Cathleen was torn out of her memories to swerve as an animal ran across the road in front of her. The animal was almost across when it was hit on the side of a pink car. The car kept going, but Cathleen went back to check on the animal. The animal was a small gray kitten and it looked like it was hurt. Cathleen pulled over and grabbed a first aid kit. The small kitten had a broken leg and a few cuts on the left side. Cathleen made a small splint and cleaned the cuts, she realized that the kitten would not be able to survive on its own so she decided to take it with her. She made a little nest for the kitten in her duffel bag, then sealed the bag so that the kitten would not jump out during the journey back home. She took one last glance at the sleeping kitten and hoped on her motorbike. She prayed that the kitten would be okay at least until she got home and was able to provide it with better care.

Cathleen arrived back at the manor and put away her motorbike. She then grabbed her bag, careful not to disturb the kitten inside. She walked to the kitchen and searched for two small bowls and some cat food. Apparently, the Wayne's had had a cat at one time, because there was a stack of old cat food in the corner of the pantry. Thankfully it wasn't expired. She ran up to her room and set up a makeshift playpen for the kitten. She was setting the little water bowl and the food bowl when Dick came up behind her.

"Whatcha doing?" he asked her.

"Setting up a living space for my new roommate" she replied without looking away from her new pet. She finally got the bowls in the right place and turned around to face him. He had one eyebrow raised and was waiting for her explanation. Bruce and Alfred had come in as well and they wore matching expressions of mild curiosity.

"She was hit by a car near me on the road and I wanted to take care of her. She is really sweet and I promise to be responsible. Please may I keep her?" she pleaded giving them all puppy-eyes. All of them looked uncomfortable at being faced with her pleading and they all knew that she would keep the kitten even if they said no.

"Yes, you may keep her" Bruce finally consented. Cathleen gave him a huge smile and began to ramble about how she would nurse the kitten back to health and that she was going to take super good care of her. Alfred stopped her with a question,

"What are you going to name your new kitten, Miss Cathleen?" She looked very stumped and Alfred suggested that the boys leave while she brainstorms. Dick and Bruce seemed quite happy at the prospect of getting away from the overwhelmingly hyper girl and they walked out without protest. Cathleen didn't pay them any attention as she got out a piece of paper and started to write down ideas.

 **Dick's POV**

"Hey, Bruce. I was meaning to talk to you about something that came up with my extracurriculars" Dick called out. Bruce turned towards him and gave him a look. Dick had grown quite adept at discerning Bruce's meanings and he understood that his adoptive father was telling him that they should talk in the batcave.

Dick nodded and made his way towards the old grandfather clock. Once they were both inside and headed to the main room of the cave, Bruce motioned for him to start talking.

Dick explained what had occured the previous night and waited for Bruce to formulate a response.

"This is all very weird and I believe that we might have made a grave mistake in ignoring Carricksvile's young hero. I thought that she would have given up ages ago, but it now seems that her determined attitude is making her a target. We can't do anything about her right now, but I am going to search up any mention of her to make sure that she truly is a hero. Thank you for informing me of this, now I believe it is time to get ready for patrol" Bruce responded. Dick gave a nod of acknowledgement and turned to grab his costume. _Who is Gray Dove and what makes her so special to Talia? I might not know now, but I am going to find out._

{Hello Readers! If you have a good name for Cathleen's new kitten please do tell! I am still in need of prompts so please review. I also need some feedback so please take a second and gimme a comment! ~ Sugar }


	5. Chapter 5

{Hello Readers! I'm feeling really just amazing because **ZabuzasGirl** told me in a REVIEW that she loved my story. Also, if I don't give a specific warning as to which character's POV it is, then it is probably Cathleen/Gray Dove's POV. Thank you for reading and please review because I need the feedback! ~ Sugar }

Cathleen woke up and skipped into Roy's kitchen; he wasn't up yet so she was going to make him breakfast. She got down all the ingredients and started some music on her phone. She sang along as the cooked and soon she had a wonderful batch of treats.

When Roy got up, he wandered into the kitchen and was pleasantly surprised at all the food in front of him. Cathleen had finished cooking a while ago and she was now sitting at the table eating breakfast. Roy grabbed a plate and filled it to the brim with French Toast Sticks, Biscuits, Scrambled Eggs, and more. Cathleen watched as he scarfed down the meal and raised an eyebrow.

"I'm assuming you liked breakfast" she said sarcastically. Roy smiled and gave her a huge smile.

"I usually just eat McDonalds so this is a big step up" he told her. She smiled and started to put away the dishes.

"I have to leave pretty soon" She said sadly. Star City was a bit of a trip from Gotham and if she wanted to make it back by tomorrow, she'd have to hurry. Bruce had told her that Dick was going to be hanging out with his friends for a science club and she once again felt sad that he didn't trust her with the truth.

Later, once she was all packed, Roy helped her to take her stuff to her motorbike. He secured her duffel bag to the back of the bike and stepped back. She hopped on and gave him a smile as she started the engine. He waved and she grinned as she pulled out of the parking lot. She loved Roy like an older brother and she enjoyed visiting him immensely. While she was driving, she thought back to when she had first met Wally West, the Kid Flash extraordinaire.

 _ **Flashback**_

 _Wally had been visiting with his Aunt Iris. His aunt was a reporter and she was doing a piece on the wards of Bruce Wayne. Immediately after seeing Wally, Dick had run up and asked him if he wanted to play some video games. Wally had agreed excitedly and Cathleen had taken a seat on the couch to watch them. Dick had creamed Wally in almost all of the video games and their bantering made it very hard to hold in laughter. Cathleen had been giggling when Dick called for a snack break. They all walked into the kitchen and Wally started to ask them questions._

" _What's your favorite color? What's your favorite video game? Do you like your school? What's your favorite subject?" he asked really quickly, not giving them a chance to respond. Both Cathleen and Dick knew that Wally was Kid Flash, but they didn't want to give away the fact that they knew, so they pretended to act shocked and flustered at his fast pace._

" _Wow, you sure talk fast" Cathleen said when he stopped for a breath. He smiled and opened his mouth to apologize, but Dick waved him off._

" _My favorite colors are red and yellow and I don't have a favorite video game. I believe that Cathleen likes aquamarine, but unlike me, she does not enjoy video games. We both like school and find our advanced classes very engaging. I don't have a favorite subject, although I believe Cathleen adores learning new languages" Dick answered in response to Wally's previous questions. Wally grinned and asked a few other questions, this time in a slower voice. Dick and Cathleen alternated answering because they knew each other so well. They all talked and laughed until Wally's aunt came to get him._

" _Hopefully we'll see each other soon and I can get redemption on the video games" Wally called over his shoulder as he walked out. Dick smirked and called out a goodbye before he headed upstairs to get ready for bed. Cathleen followed him up and walked into her own room. Later that night, she would head out as Gray Dove and stop her first drug deal_

 _ **End of flashback**_

Cathleen was torn out of her memories to swerve as an animal ran across the road in front of her. The animal was almost across when it was hit on the side of a pink car. The car kept going, but Cathleen went back to check on the animal. The animal was a small gray kitten and it looked like it was hurt. Cathleen pulled over and grabbed a first aid kit. The small kitten had a broken leg and a few cuts on the left side. Cathleen made a small splint and cleaned the cuts, she realized that the kitten would not be able to survive on its own so she decided to take it with her. She made a little nest for the kitten in her duffel bag, then sealed the bag so that the kitten would not jump out during the journey back home. She took one last glance at the sleeping kitten and hoped on her motorbike. She prayed that the kitten would be okay at least until she got home and was able to provide it with better care.

Cathleen arrived back at the manor and put away her motorbike. She then grabbed her bag, careful not to disturb the kitten inside. She walked to the kitchen and searched for two small bowls and some cat food. Apparently, the Wayne's had had a cat at one time, because there was a stack of old cat food in the corner of the pantry. Thankfully it wasn't expired. She ran up to her room and set up a makeshift playpen for the kitten. She was setting the little water bowl and the food bowl when Dick came up behind her.

"Whatcha doing?" he asked her.

"Setting up a living space for my new roommate" she replied without looking away from her new pet. She finally got the bowls in the right place and turned around to face him. He had one eyebrow raised and was waiting for her explanation. Bruce and Alfred had come in as well and they wore matching expressions of mild curiosity.

"She was hit by a car near me on the road and I wanted to take care of her. She is really sweet and I promise to be responsible. Please may I keep her?" she pleaded giving them all puppy-eyes. All of them looked uncomfortable at being faced with her pleading and they all knew that she would keep the kitten even if they said no.

"Yes, you may keep her" Bruce finally consented. Cathleen gave him a huge smile and began to ramble about how she would nurse the kitten back to health and that she was going to take super good care of her. Alfred stopped her with a question,

"What are you going to name your new kitten, Miss Cathleen?" She looked very stumped and Alfred suggested that the boys leave while she brainstorms. Dick and Bruce seemed quite happy at the prospect of getting away from the overwhelmingly hyper girl and they walked out without protest. Cathleen didn't pay them any attention as she got out a piece of paper and started to write down ideas.

 **Dick's POV**

"Hey, Bruce. I was meaning to talk to you about something that came up with my extracurriculars" Dick called out. Bruce turned towards him and gave him a look. Dick had grown quite adept at discerning Bruce's meanings and he understood that his adoptive father was telling him that they should talk in the batcave.

Dick nodded and made his way towards the old grandfather clock. Once they were both inside and headed to the main room of the cave, Bruce motioned for him to start talking.

Dick explained what had occured the previous night and waited for Bruce to formulate a response.

"This is all very weird and I believe that we might have made a grave mistake in ignoring Carricksvile's young hero. I thought that she would have given up ages ago, but it now seems that her determined attitude is making her a target. We can't do anything about her right now, but I am going to search up any mention of her to make sure that she truly is a hero. Thank you for informing me of this, now I believe it is time to get ready for patrol" Bruce responded. Dick gave a nod of acknowledgement and turned to grab his costume. _Who is Gray Dove and what makes her so special to Talia? I might not know now, but I am going to find out._

{Hello Readers! If you have a good name for Cathleen's new kitten please do tell! I am still in need of prompts so please review. I also need some feedback so please take a second and gimme a comment! ~ Sugar }


	6. Chapter 6

{ Hey Readers! Who's excited for the weekend? I know I am! Anyways, here is the story ~ Sugar }

Gray Dove awoke and found that she was tied to a chair with several ropes. She opened her eyes and looked at her surroundings through her mask. The room was very brightly colored and under normal circumstances, she would have been disgusted by the overly happy signs that announced "Laughter is the best medicine." There was no one else in the room with her at the time and she groaned when she noticed that there was only one door and the air vents were too small for her to crawl through. She continued to observe her surroundings and fought back a snarl when her captors walked in.

"Hellooo little girlie, I am so glad you are awake! Now we can play some games!" Joker exclaimed with that same evil smile plastered across his face. Gray Dove frowned but didn't say anything.

"Awww, sweetheart, don't worry. We'll turn that frown upside down!" Joker's voice was very creepy and gave her the chills. He always sounded so feral and she was honestly a bit frightened by him. She still didn't respond to him and he pouted.

He made a waving motion at his goons and they carried her, chair and all, out of the room and over to a table with a bucket of water. The goons positioned her so that the table pressed up on her waist. The bucket was low enough that it would be easy for the Joker to dunk her head into the water, and this terrified Gray Dove. There was also a camera in the far corner of the room and she hoped that Kayla would be able to find her before she broke.

"Now, my baby birdie, I am going to ask you questions. I want you to answer me, if I don't get an answer or i get an answer I don't like, then we see how long you can hold your breath" he told her with his eyes glinting menacingly. Gray Dove gave a small frightened nod and he gave a small laugh.

"Let's begin, shall we? . . . Alright, first question, what do you think of old Batsy?" he asked. Gray Dove paused and then answered truthfully.

"I don't really like the Batman, he is super intimidating." Joker laughed again at her response. She tensed up but he only moved onto the next question.

"How old are you, little birdie?" he questioned. She stayed silent and Joker's smile dimmed.

"Answer me! How old are you?!" he yelled. She still refused to consent and he gave a nod to his goons. Gray Dove's head was abruptly pushed under the water. She was a good swimmer and knew had to hold her breath without overexerting herself. She stayed unmoving until at least one minute had passed. They still weren't letting her come up for air. She started to struggle, but the men behind her were too strong. Gray Dove was starting to see black at the edges of her vision when they pulled her up by the hair. SHe gasped for air and Joker giggled at her flustered expression. He didn't wait very long before he started up the questioning again.

He would ask her easy questions like opinions on certain heroes and she would answer easily. But everytime he asked her a personal question or a question pertaining to other heroes secrets, she stayed silent. The Joker would have his goons hold her head under the water until she almost lost consciousness, then have them pull her head up at the last possible second. Every time this happened, he would skip over the previous question and just continue with easier questions. Eventually, he started to get annoyed

when he realized his current method of torture was not working. He pulled out two long knives and his grin widened.

"I'm sorry little birdie, but I want to hear you answer ALL of my questions, so we might just have to get a little more rough" he said in that same sickly feral voice. He began his questions again, but this time, when she didn't answer and her head was thrust under the water, he cut a long gash on her back.

These gashes put Gray Dove into immense pain, but she kept refusing to speak whenever he asked her a question that was personal or pertaining to other heroes' secrets.

After several times, he told her how pointless it was and how "the heroes didn't care for her, otherwise they would have already rescued her." Inside, all these taunts pierced her heart, but she kept up a defiant act and never gave up any of her secrets. Joker continues to harass and torture her until finally, he misjudges on the amount of time Gray Dove is supposed to be under the water and she blacks out.

 **Red Arrow's POV**

Batman and Red Arrow were standing outside the abandoned factory while Eyes went over the layout of the building. Red Arrow was really nervous and he hated just waiting there while Gray Dove was probably being tortured, heck, there was even a chance that they were too late and Joker had already killed made Red Arrow very emotional because he loved Gray Dove like a little sister and he despised the Joker for ever trying to even touch her. The fact that the Joker had actually taken Gray Dove and beaten her up was tearing him apart. Red Arrow looked towards Batman and gave him the signal to move both crept around to opposite sides of the factory and snuck in.

From the catwalk above, Red Arrow could see Jokers men holding Gray Dove's head in a bucket of water. She was putting up quite a fight and he sucked in an involuntary breath as he saw her go limp. He saw Batman crouching on a catwalk about twenty feet away and he exhaled softly as Batman threw a Batarang onto the camera in the room where Gray Dove was being held.

Joker and his henchman immediately snapped to attention. Batman swung in on a grappling hook and started to battle the men as Red Arrow dropped in at the back and grabbed Gray Dove. He quickly untied her from the chair, but didn't have the chance to untie her hands and feet. He shot a line at the catwalk and he pulled both of them back up. Sprinting her out to the Batmobile, he dropped her in the backseat and went back to go help Batman. Batman let Red Arrow handle the henchman and went to chase after the Joker.

Red Arrow defeated all the remaining henchman and was tying them up as Batman entered back in with the Joker unconscious and tied up. Batman sent an alert out to the police and both heros hurried back to the Batmobile.

Gray Dove was still in the exact same position from when Red Arrow had left her and upon closer inspection, it seemed that the young girl was looking terrible. Batman sped back to the Batcave and carried her to the zeta. He had told Red Arrow in the car that it would be easier to treat her at the mountain's med wing and had given him permission to allow Eyes into the cave.

 **Batman's POV**

Batman was already running to the med wing before the mountain's automated voice could announce his arrival.

Batman entered the med wing and quickly set Gray Dove on her side in a bed. He hooked her up to the machines to monitor her condition and didn't pause as he inserted an IV into her arm. He took a step back, then decided to work on the gashes on Gray Dove's back. He recognized the mark of Joker's knives and mentally cringed as he conjured up a picture of what she must have had to go through. There must have been at least 20 gashes on her back and it pained him to know that she had to suffer this at such a young age. Batman continued to treat her wounds with extreme care and didn't notice when the Team, with Red Arrow and Eyes, entered the room.

When he finally finished, he stepped back and did another check with his eyes. Batman turned around and motioned all of his silent observers out of the room. He led them to the main entrance hall and then faced them. All of the teens started to voice their questions at once and he held up a hand.

"First, the reason behind Gray Dove's injuries was that Joker kidnapped her from Carricksvile." He heard gasps but ignored them in favor of continuing his explanation. "Eyes, works with Gray Dove as a backup. Eyes does not actually fight, but monitors Gray Dove and suggests tactical plays when Gray Dove is in fights or working cases. Eyes was not actively watching Gray Dove last night and did not find out about her kidnapping until this morning. Eyes called Red Arrow and they got in touch with me. There was a camera videoing Gray Dove's encounter with the Joker and I will be reviewing what happened to her once I can assure you all that she is fine. Gray Dove's injuries were very intensive and she will take a while to recover. I ask you all not to disturb her and please do not, under any circumstance ask her to tell you what happened. I am sure this will be very traumatic for her and I don't want any of you to

make it worse" Batman told them solemnly. They were all quiet for a second and then Artemis spoe up.

"I want to see what the Joker did to her. If I know what things might be triggering, then it will be easier to help he recover" Artemis said hesitantly. The other teens voiced their agreement and Batman sighed. He warned them all to stay quiet during the video and they nodded their agreement. Batman then pulled up the video on the holographic screen for them all to watch.

{ Hello readers! Thank you for continuing to read my story. I appreciate any reviews and thanks again for all my favorites and followers ~ Sugar }


	7. Chapter 7

{Hello readers! I think I did something weird and it deleted all my anonymous reviews, so please try to be logged in when you review, if you review at all that is. Anyways, I'm promising here and now that I will not discontinue this story no matter what. I might even create more stories based off this one, who knows? Also, gimme a shout out if school/work just bugs you. I mean, I don't hate school/work but it gets super boring sometimes. On another note, this story is set after the end of season one and it has been a little over a year since the battle with the Justice League and all that jazz. Anyways…. BACK TO THE STORY ~ Sugar }

 **Eyes's POV**

They watched in silence as Batman fast forwarded the security video to the time when Joker brings in Gray Dove. Eyes cringed as the henchman tied her up while she was unconscious and Eyes almost whimpered when the Joker started to talk once Gray Dove had woken up. Eyes managed to keep silent, but watching her friend get hurt was absolute torture. She was amazed at the resilience that Gray Dove showed when she was threatened to answer simple questions. Finally Eyes watched as Gray Dove went limp and Batman drew the Joker's attention away from her friend. Red Arrow was seen untying her from the chair and then the footage cut out. Eyes looked at the other teenager's faces and they were all very hard to read. Most were a mixture between respect and pity. No one spoke for a long while until they heard a scream from the med wing. Everyone jumped to their feet and sprinted to Gray Dove. It appeared that she was having a nightmare and she was thrashing around uncontrollably. Eyes immediately stepped forward and started to whisper secret phrases that Gray Dove could use to realize that she was safe.

"My darling, there is nothing to fear. You are in the air and nothing can hold you down. Please turn towards the spotlights" Eyes whispered soothingly (This means: Gray Dove, you are safe and no one is going to hurt you. Please open your eyes). Gray Dove sat up as she awoke and she started in shock as she saw all of them standing around her bedside. She immediately singled out Eyes and asked her what was going on. Eyes replied that Red Arrow and Batman had saved Gray Dove from the Joker and Gray Dove visibly relaxed.

"I need to get back to Carricksvile, I'll see you at school?" Eyes asked. Gray Dove nodded and Eyes walked to the zeta beams without another word. She plugged in the coordinates and started towards the safe house.

Gray Dove looked at the very anxious faces around her and asked if something had happened while she was indisposed. They all quickly denied it and Gray Dove asked them to leave her and Red Arrow alone to talk. They all agreed and left quite fast. Once they were alone, she turned to Red Arrow and asked for a real explanation.

"Well. . . Batman showed them the security video from when you were kidnapped by the Joker" Red Arrow told her nervously.

"They saw all of it?" she asked, her voice going an octave higher. Red Arrow nodded and she deflated.

"What was their reaction?" Gray Dove questioned.

"They all seemed quite appalled at what the Joker did to you. I also believe that they were impressed" he answered honestly. She switched her mask for a pair of tinted sunglasses and raised one eyebrow, waiting for him to elaborate.

"All of them believe that in your position, they themselves would have cracked under the pressure and started to answer every question and not withheld any information. This is of course with the exception of Batman and Robin. Your friend Eyes was really worried about you and hounded both me and Batman until we found you. I must admit, if it had been under different circumstances, I would have been quite amused at her harassment of the brooding Batman" he informed her. Gray Dove laughed.

"How extensive are my injuries? Will I be able to attend school? How long until I am fit to go back on patrol?" she asked him. He hesitated to think before answering her.

"You have a ton of gashes on your back but none of them needed stitches. If you wear something that covers your bandages I don't believe anyone at your school will notice. And finally, I would say about a week although Black Canary might order you to stay off patrol for a full two weeks" he replied. Gray Dove sighed. _Could this get any worse? Batman probably thinks I'm a wimp, i have no idea what I'm going to tell Bruce, and Fox is probably going to chew me out for being careless. Ugh, my week is off to an awful start._

 **Batman's POV**

Red Arrow talked to Gray Dove then left her to rest. Batman motioned him over and waited for him to start explaining. Red Arrow cleared his throat and launched into a hurried report.

"Eyes and Gray Dove have known your secret identity for a few years now and I think they figured it out on their own, no one directly told them. Gray Dove has feared for a long time that if you figured out her secret identity, then you would force her to give up being a hero. This belief probably comes from watching you sideline Batgirl. Gray Dove has made me promise to not reveal her actual age because she doesn't want you or anyone else to underestimate her or treat her differently than you would with someone older. I think this team would be good for both Gray Dove and Eyes, although Eyes has made it clear she wants to observe and give advice only. Gray Dove and Eyes have worked well together without Eyes ever having to fight, I think she should be given basic self defence lessons, but beyond that, I don't think you should force her to participate on site" Red Arrow told him warily. Batman pondered Red Arrow's words for a second before answering.

"The video of Gray Dove being tortured by Joker certainly gives her more credibility and I must admit that I am impressed she held up under his interrogation. It makes me sick to think that he went all the way up to Carricksvile to kidnap her and I do believe that she shouldn't be a hero at her age. I don't have any clue as to who she is or what her age is, but I am assuming that she is around Robin's age. I let Robin be a hero because I know he will always have someone watching out for him, whether it's in Gotham or with the Team. I am skeptical of the fact that Gray Dove is working without a mentor on the league and this fact alone makes it hard to allow her to continue being a hero. Regardless, because I can't actually stop her and she is a pretty good fighter, I want her to work with the Team so that she can be supervised. Not because she is untrustworthy but because I am worried as to the care she would receive pertaining to her injuries, without her having access to the mountain" Batman consented. Red Arrow relaxed and Batman gave him a curt nod before waving him off. Red Arrow understood the dismissal and hurried over to the zeta beams.

"Alert me when she wakes up and please don't intimidate her too much" Red Arrow called over his shoulder. Batman rolled his eyes beneath his mask and turned towards the computer. He was glad that the Joker was back in Arkham, but he couldn't help feeling that the Joker's new stunt was going to cause a lot more trouble for Gray Dove than was currently seen.

{Mind speak will be underlined }

 **Kid Flash's POV**

 _Who was Gray Dove and why was she making Robin so tense?_ The Team was all in the training room as they all silently thought of what Joker had done to Gray Dove. Kid Flash turned towards his best friend and gave him a questioning look.

"I'm fine KF, the fact that neither Batman nor I knows who Gray Dove actually is kind of puts me on edge. It really isn't asterous at all" Robin told him. M'gann took this as a sign to start up a conversation.

"Does anyone know why the Joker took her?" M'gann asked telepathically.

"Who knows why the Joker does anything, he's psycho and he could have taken her for a number of reasons. The real question is how much do we trust Gray Dove" Robin replied.

"I trust Gray Dove, I mean you all saw how she refused to give up any personal information about herself and other heroes. Plus, Red Arrow views her as a great ally. Red Arrow might have been the mole unconsciously, but he has always been a great judge of character otherwise. He took a long time to fully trust M'gann, Superboy, and I; so she must be a great person to have won the level of praise he gave her when we first met her" Artemis thought to the others.

"I agree, she must have a good reason to not give us her real name and none of us have ever given Robin any trouble over that same decision" Aqualad added. They all agreed and resolved to trust her until she gave them a reason not to.

"Has anyone actually ever heard of her before now? Kid Flash asked over the mind link.

"No, but I looked her up on some of Carricksvile's local newscast sites and I found that she is more of a local hero. She has been working as a hero for at least three years and she hasn't ever actually fought a meta before" Superboy told them. Kid Flash was surprised to say the least. _Gray Dove hadn't fought a meta ever? How well would she actually do in a fight? She seems to have experience with local robbers and muggers, would she be capable of fighting a person that has superpowers?_ He forgot that the others could hear his thoughts through the mind link, so he was caught off guard when the others agreed with him.

"I think that we should offer sparring sessions as soon as she is able, that way we can test her skills" Rocket said out loud. Everyone showed their agreement in small nods.

"How long will she be sentenced to bed rest?" Zatanna asked.

"Batman told me that she has about two days left in the med wing but then she shouldn't be allowed to go on missions for at least a week" Robin spoke up.

"I wouldn't trust Gray Dove to stay off patrol that long. She seems like one of those people who loves the satisfaction that you get from saving someone and making someone else happy" Kid Flash admitted. They all continued to discuss their new teammate and were taken by surprise when they heard the refrigerator door open.

It was Gray Dove and she seemed to be oblivious to the fact that the team had just been talking about her. She pulled out a coke and shut the refrigerator door. Superboy was the first one to react.

"Why aren't you still resting in the med wing?" he asked her accusingly. She shrugged.

"I was bored and I figured I would grab some caffeine before I headed home" she answered nonchalantly. Superboy sputtered as he tried to think of a response.

"Gray Dove, you were taken by the Joker and tortured! You need to be resting, certainly not walking around!" Zatanna exclaimed. Gray Dove answered her with another shrug.

"I don't have any stitches and nothing is broken. I don't see what all the fuss is about" she said evenly.

"You don't know what all the fuss is about? You could have been KILLED, you have at least TWENTY gashes on your back. What do you mean you don't know what all the fuss is about?" Robin asked her angrily. She took a step back at his harsh tone.

"The gashes were not very deep, they aren't even going to leave scars. I am perfectly fine and I think that I am a good judge of my own health" she retorted.

"Prove it" Artemis challenged her. Gray Dove shrugged and headed towards the training room.

Once they were in fighting position, Artemis launched a kick at Gray Dove's stomach. Gray Dove dodged and countered with a blow to Artemis's shoulder. They spent a good minute fighting and it appeared that both girls were holding back. Gray Dove started to win and Artemis gave it everything she had. Gray Dove blocked her hits and dodged every one of her kicks. Gray Dove slammed Artemis to the floor by catching her arm and swinging her around. The big letters came up announcing "Artemis: Fail" and the entire team was speechless. Gray Dove stepped back.

"Does that prove that I am in fact alright?" she asked them as she pushed hair out of her face. Most of them nodded but Superboy seemed unsure.

"I could defeat any of you and you still wouldn't think I'm good enough" she stated angrily.

"You could beat any of us? Really? You're just a kid!" Kid Flash told her patronizingly. She praised one eyebrow and beckoned him to come at her. Kid Flash took Artemis's place in the training ring and she took up a fighting stance. He scoffed and threw a quick volley of light punches. She flipped backwards landing out of his range. Kid Flash raced towards her and she swung a fist at him. He caught it and she swept a leg under him, trying to take him off his feet. Kid Flash jumped and wasn't prepared for her to tear her arm out of his grasp and push him off balance. He stumbled and she performed the same maneuver as she did with Artemis. He was ready for it though, and caught his footing before he hit the ground. He righted himself and they exchanged blows for a minute until she did a series of moves and he hit the ground. He groaned as the words "Kid Flash: Fail" popped up in the air. Gray Dove gave him a small smile and went over to take a drink from her coke. Kid Flash was still staring at her when Robin offered to spar with her. She agreed and took up her fighting stance.

Robin started immediately and they began to exchange blows. It was easy to see from the very beginning that Gray Dove was gentle with Robin, even more so than when she had fought Artemis and Kid Flash. Robin and Gray Dove moved fluidly countering each other's blows. Both Robin and Gray Dove did a great many acrobatic flips and it looked like they were dancing around the ring. This lasted several minutes before they were stopped by Batman.

"Robin, Gray Dove, stop" he yelled at them harshly. Both young heros ceased fighting instantly and hung their heads in shame. The Team was startled by Batman's sudden order since none of them had noticed him enter the room; they had all been too focused on the fight before them. Batman gave both teens the infamous Batglare.

"Gray Dove you are supposed to be resting" he told the young girl.

"Sorry, Batman" she said quietly. Robin gave an apology as well and Batman stared at the two teens for a second before striding out of the room. Robin sighed.

"I guess that means no more sparring today" he informed the group. Gray Dove made a face and the whole team went to go sit down in the living room.

"Let's get to know each other" Miss Martian suggested. They all agreed and Zatanna started them off.

"Okay, well my favorite color is black and one interesting fact about me is that my father Zatara is Doctor Fate" Zatanna told them. Artemis was next to her and she took her cue to start talking.

"My favorite color is green and one interesting fact about me is that I go to Gotham High" Artemis said calmly.

"My absolute favorite color is yellow and one interesting fact about me is that I am in my school's science club" Kid Flash admitted to the group.

"My favorite colors are red and yellow and one interesting fact about me is that I have a younger sibling" Robin said cheerfully. The Team was surprised at the sudden information and Kid Flash smiled thinking it was about time that Robin started to clue them in on his secret identity.

"My favorite color is pink and one interesting fact about me is that I am a white martian" Miss Martian informed them.

"My favorite color is black and one interesting fact about me is that I have some DNA from Lex Luthor" Superboy told them. Kid Flash saw Gray dove shift in surprise and he took it as a good sign that she didn't already know everything about them. Gray Dove was sitting on the other side of Superboy and she took a second to think of her answer.

"My favorite color is aquamarine and one interesting fact about me is that I earned Red Arrow's secret identity when his mask fell off while he was saving me from some crooks" Gray Dove said happily.

"My favorite color is red and one interesting fact about me is that I used to look up to the sidekicks before I came on to the Team" Rocket told them.

"My favorite color is navy blue and one interesting fact about me is that I became Aqualad after saving my King from an attack" Aqualad said finishing their first question round. The Team continued to share facts about themselves and the two bird heroes stayed mysteriously allusive with their vague answers. Finally, it was late and all of the heroes left to go home or to bed. Gray Dove slipped out to the zeta beams before any of them could tell her to stay in the med wing, but they all were too tired to think anything of it. Kid Flash yawned as he stepped up to the zeta beams and smiled at the thought of how well Gray Dove had fit into their Team. He thought she would make a great addition to their Team.

{ Hey Readers! Thank you for viewing/visiting my story! I am in a huge need of some motivation because I have started to procrastinate when writing and adding new chapters. If more people could give my story a favorite or a follow, it would make my day. Also, I am a terrible artist and was wondering of anyone could design a rough sketch of what Gray Dove's costume looks like. Thanks again for reading and I will certainly give you a shoutout if you follow/favorite my story. Thanks and I hope you all have a wonderful weekend ~ Sugar"


	8. Chapter 8

{ Hey Readers! Glad that you could read my story and I will give a shoutout to anyone who sends me an exclamation point showing that they are enjoying my story. I was told that I needed to do the disclaimer thing so just for the record, I don't own Young Justice and most of the plot line is not actually mine. Anyways, I'm still in need of some reviews but idk, here's the story ~ Sugar }

Cathleen arrived at the manor after changing into civies and walked up to the front door. She slid it open just enough so that she could come in and then closed it, trying to make enough noise that it would sound like a careless teenager but not enough noise that it would wake everyone at the house. She was wearing some sweatpants and a large sweatshirt that covered her back and didn't show the creases from the bandages. She crept up to her room in a straight path not stepping to the side of the squeaky steps that other kids would normally miss. Sure enough, Bruce came out of his room to greet her. He gave her a hug and she managed to smile through the pain when he touched the gashes on her back. Bruce pulled back and gave her a toned-down version of the Batglare. She gave him a guilty smile and he rolled his eyes.

"Where's Dick?" she asked him in a whisper.

"Sleeping. He had a great day with his friends" Bruce told her at the same volume level. She nodded.

"When can I meet this mysterious group of friends?" she asked him. He shrugged indicating she should ask Dick. She held back a laugh because she knew that it was actually Batman's rule that Robin couldn't let his sister know their secret. She gave Bruce another hug, then sneaked to her room to shower and get ready for bed. She had already checked to see if she had any homework for over the break and was pleased to find that her teachers had been generous. She sighed in exhaustion as she plopped down on to her bed. _Wow, my life certainly is crazy, isn't it?_

 **Kid Flash's POV**

It had been one week since Gray Dove's run in with the Joker and Kid Flash was ready to party the weekend away with the Team. They had all planned to have two sleepovers at the cave over the weekend so they could do trust exercises and other get-to-know-you games. He was super excited and his uncle had agreed eagerly to let him get out of the house. He had packed a bag with toiletries and extra civies just in case he needed them; this was a big possibility if Robin was there.

Kid Flash didn't wait until the computer had finished announcing his name and just rushed right in.

"The Wall-man is here!" he yelled as he ran around the room. Artemis was sitting on the couch and Kid Flash saw her smirk as he smiled giddily. Miss Martian was sitting on the other side of the couch almost all the way into Superboy's lap. Both of them were also smiling and everyone rolled their eyes as Kid Flash skidded to stop and took a dramatic bow. They all turned towards the zeta beams as it announced Robin's arrival. He was holding a duffel bag, probably filled with fun toys to entertain them throughout the long sleepover. Robin walked over to one of the empty couches, set his bag down, then threw himself onto the couch.

"Ugh, school is annoying" he told them. They all were able to stay quiet for only a few seconds before they started laughing. They were all still laughing when the zeta beams announced Gray Dove's arrival and then the arrival of Zatanna subsequently. Both girls stood puzzled as they looked at their teammates. Kid Flash explained that _Robin_ was complaining about school and the whole team started laughing again. Kaldur showed up a few minutes later and Miss Martian announced they should all change into PJs. They all disappeared into their rooms to change and emerged a short time later. Wally was wearing white flannel PJs with mini lightning bolts on them and the whole team smiled at his goofy smile as he took in their outfits. Artemis was wearing some green flannel PJs that had little pink arrows on them and she had her hair up in a messy ponytail. M'gann was wearing pink PJs that had white clouds on them. Connor was wearing a simple black t-shirt and sweatpants. Kaldur was wearing an outfit similar to Connor's but he had on a blue t-shirt. Raquel was wearing a cropped purple t-shirt and gray sweatpants. Zatanna was wearing black flannel PJs with tiny magic wands on them. Robin was wearing his signature tinted sunglasses and PJs that were covered in little robins with the background color being black. Gray Dove was also wearing tinted glasses although she had on a gray blank sweatshirt and black leggings on. They all sat down in the living room and waited for someone else to share an idea. Gray Dove's face lit up as she walked over to grab a hairbrush and sent a questioning glance at the other girls. The boys had no idea what she was doing but the girls made a small line. All of the girls except Zatanna had hair brushes and they immediately started to braid the hair of the girl in front of them. Wally was stunned for a second that they were able to do this without telling the others of their plan, but he passed it off as one of the mysteries that no man shall ever know. He turned on the TV and held up some of the video games. The other boys started to argue right away. Kaldur rolled his eyes and chose the video game that they had been playing the other day. He slipped it into the CD slot and passed out the controllers.

Somehow, they had all started up polite chatter and were exchanging facts about what was happening in each of their private lives. Wally didn't know when, but at some point, the girls had finished braiding hair and were now painting nails. Each of the girls had their hair put up in two french braids and they all looked really happy. He looked over at Robin and noticed that his friend seemed to be bursting with excitement.

Hey, Rob. What's got you over the moon?" Wally asked.

"I get to tell you all my secret identity!" Robin blurted out. All of them looked at him with huge smiles. They all seemed to be questioning it, _Batman was actually allowing the Team to learn his secret identity?_ Robin nodded at them excitedly and took off his glasses. Wally watched as the Team was taken aback as they took in his startling blue eyes and realized his identity. They all gave their thanks that they were finally able to see who he was and Wally noticed that Gray Dove looked uncomfortable.

"If Robin trusts you all, then I guess I trust you too. But you have to promise not to tell anyone on the league" Gray Dove spoke up. They all assured that they wouldn't but Wally knew that they were skeptical. Gray Dove took off her sunglasses and they all gasped.

{ Isn't that just a wonderful cliffhanger? Thanks to **DaCatOfAdventure** , **NightmareOnElmStreetFan** , **ZabuzasGirl** , **Dark Yellow Dino** , and **nikkielizabeth**.

You all are so awesome and it makes my day knowing that someone actually enjoys my story. Anyways, I'll publish a new chapter later tonight. Thanks again ~ Sugar }


	9. Chapter 9

{Hehehe, I know at least some people are annoyed with me for always leaving on cliffhangers so I'm sorry if you are one of those people. Can I please get at least one more review? I will love you to death if you just give me a one word adjective. If I get thirteen more reviews, I will post a chapter every night instead of on and off like I was planning to. This isn't for any particular reason, just that I was born on the thirteenth. I just need some motivation here. **Dark Yellow Dino** 's review really made me smile (Thank you so much!). Thanks for reading ~ Sugar }

 **Artemis's POV**

 _Well this changes things._ Artemis understood at once why Gray Dove wouldn't want any of the League to know her secret identity. If it got back to Batman that his little angel was fighting crime, he would bench her immediately. Artemis looked at Cathleen and gave her a smile.

"We all have secrets and I'm glad you allowed us to know yours" Artemis told her. Cathleen gave her a weak smile and Artemis quickly noticed the source of her hesitation. Richard Grayson was fuming. It looked as though he might explode. Artemis quickly intervened and gave an explanation of Cathleen's actions.

"Robin, she is a good hero and she deserves to be able to make her own decisions. You will push her even farther away if you don't let her continue to be a hero. This is why she doesn't want Batman to know her true identity, he would make her sit out and never get to be a hero. Think of what that would do to you if you were in her position" Artemis said calmly. Dick seemed to consider her words and visibly deflated.

"I know she's a good hero and I'm glad she was able to tell me, but I don't think I'm ever going to be comfortable with her being out there" he replied to Artemis, never taking his eyes off his sister. Cathleen gave a small nod and rushed up to give him a hug. He relaxed into her hold and looked back at the rest of the Team.

"I am going to allow her to be apart of the Team but I don't want her to ever be left alone on missions. If she gets hurt or captured I will probably have to tell Batman and both of us might go on a rampage. Small wounds are fine, but if any person, villain or otherwise, leaves her with any long term wounds, physical or emotional, then I might just break Batman's no killing rule" Dick told the Team telepathically. Cathleen had not been added to the telepathic link yet so his message was private although most of the Team was shocked at the unusually harsh tone that Dick used. They all gave quick murmurs of agreement and he gave them a small nod. They were all shocked at how protective their friend was over his sister and they couldn't help but wonder how Batman would react when the secret eventually came out. Wally cleared his throat.

"Wow, that's a lot to take in . . . Anyone up for truth or dare?" he asked. Everyone said yes and sat down in a circle. Cathleen had separated from her brother and was now sitting next to Artemis. Artemis was surprised at how quickly the Team had moved on from the revelation but she was glad that her two friends had finally shared their identities. She felt that the Team was like a big family and every mishap or drama brought them closer together once it was solved. She was startled out of her thoughts when she heard her name. She looked over to Wally and saw him grinning wickedly.

"Artemis, truth or dare?" he asked.

"Truth" she answered.

"Who and when was your first kiss?" he asked. Artemis blushed.

"My first kiss was in fourth grade with a boy named Alex Miller and it was a dare from my sister" Artemis replied embarrassed. Some of the Team had small smiles while others had started cracking up. She ignored them out and picked her victim.

"Cathleen, truth or dare?" Artemis asked.

"Truth" Cathleen answered.

"Who do you have a crush on?" Artemis asked slyly.

"No one" Cathleen answered as she turned bright red. Artemis raised an eyebrow and Cathleen gave her a small glare. Artemis rolled her eyes and beckoned for Cathleen to start her turn.

"Zatanna, truth or dare?" Cathleen questioned.

"Dare, let's make this interesting shall we?" Zatanna replied. Cathleen gave her a wicked smile.

"Aright, Zatanna. I dare you to kiss my brother" Cathleen told the raven-haired girl. Zatanna rolled her eyes and went over to give Dick a kiss. She bent down and gave him a quick peck on the lips. Zatanna walked back to her spot and laughed at Cathleen's happy squeal.

"Kaldur, truth or dare?" Zatanna asked.

"I believe I will choose dare" Kaldur replied.

"I dare you to zeta to the Watchtower walk in, look really surprised and then zeta back here" Zatanna told him. Kaldur looked uncertain for a second, but he got up and walked to the zeta tube. Artemis watched as both Cathleen and Dick quickly typed on their watches. Within seconds, they had the Watchtower's security cameras pulled up. They watched as Aqualad walked in and made a fake attempt to look surprised. The leaguers appeared to be in a meeting and they all looked up at Kaldur's entrance. Kaldur looked really embarrassed and he said some quick apologies before walking back over to the zeta tubes and heading back to the cave. The Team was all laughing really hard as Kaldur walked back in and he joined them in laughing after a minute.

The Team continued to play Truth or Dare and they were all thoroughly exhausted after another few hours. They pulled out all the blankets and camped out on the couches and pillows strewn across the floor. Artemis looked over at her Team as she drifted off and smiled. _I'm glad to be apart of this family and I won't let anyone take it away from me_.

 **Connor's POV**

Connor woke up slowly and looked towards his friends. Wally was lying spread-eagle across several pillows on the floor and he had at least two blankets piled upon himself. Raquel was sleeping on the end one of the couches, she was curled up in a fetal position and she had her feet up against Zatanna, who was sleeping at the other end of the couch. Kaldur was sleeping peacefully on one of the other couches and he was snoring softly. Connor had been sharing the last couch with M'gann but he gently got up and moved so that he wouldn't wake her. Connor walked to the kitchen and started a pot of coffee. It was then that he realized that Cathleen wasn't where she had been, sleeping on the floor next to Dick. He trained his ears and heard muffled sounds coming from the Training Room. he poured himself a cup of coffee and walked to the Training Room. He walked in silently and was startled to find Cathleen flying through the air. He watched as she caught the gymnastic bars. He didn't know how long she had been working, but it was really peaceful watching her flip back and forth between the bars in the air. It was several minutes before she noticed him, but she took it in stride and did a final flip landing on the mat nicely before giving Connor a smile and a wave. He smiled back at her and motioned for them to walk to the kitchen. She washed her hands and then made herself a bowl of cereal. She asked him if he wanted one and he politely agreed. She made him a bowl and then sat down.

"How long have you been up?" he asked.

"Only about two hours" she told him calmly. He checked the clock on the wall and frowned. It was only 5:00 am so that meant she had been up since 3:00 am. He asked her about this and she told him that she had had a nightmare. She didn't want to wake the others so she went to the training room to practice her acrobatics. He nodded and they went back to their breakfast. They finished and Cathleen announced that she was still hungry. She asked if he was also still hungry and he nodded. She gave him a happy smile and went into the kitchen. She pulled out all sorts of ingredients and warned Connor not to bother her for at least thirty minutes. He nodded, bemused, and watched as she bustled around the kitchen.

About thirty minutes later, she had eggs, bacon, and toast laid out. She offered him some and he started to eat with gusto. The food was amazing and when he asked her about where she learned to cook, she told him that she had learned from a person named Alfred. They talked as she worked and the time passed quickly.

Around 7:00 am, the other members of the Team started to wake up. They walked in and grinned at the quantity of food that Cathleen had prepared. By that time she had made muffins, coffee cake, omelettes, pancakes, waffles, and much more. They all talked and laughed as they ate and they all had smiles ever present on their faces. They watched as Wally entered the kitchen, saw the food, and proceeded to sing Cathleen's praises at the top of his lungs. They all laughed at his theatrics and just kept talking and laughing. Dick was the last person to wake up and a flurry of emotions crossed his face as he saw all the food. He plastered on a fake smile and hugged his sister before she excused herself to go use the restroom. Cathleen didn't notice his act but the rest of the Team did.

"Is something wrong, Dick?" M'gann asked.

"How long has she been up?" Dick questioned without answering M'gann.

"I woke up around five and she said she had been up since around three. I found her doing acrobatics. She said she had a nightmare but I didn't pry" Connor replied. The Team felt a small surge of panic from Dick and they started to get worried.

"Whenever Cathleen has a nightmare she usually keeps it to herself and tires to do things that will keep her mind off of it. She starts by doing some acrobatics. Those usually clear her mind enough that she can either go back to sleep or go through the day without trouble. But if the nightmare really scares her, she cooks. Our butler, Alfred, taught her how and that's usually her second way to calm down. If she asks to go take a walk then the nightmare must have been terrible. I don't know what happens next but she will usually tell me about her nightmare after her walk so that she can get it off her chest. If she is acting this calm, it really means she is afraid that we will think she is weak if she tells us. Judging by my words the other day, she probably won't tell me about her nightmare and everything will probably go downhill from there" Dick told them. By this time they were all panicking, but they kept eating their food so that Cathleen would think nothing was wrong. Cathleen came back into the room and told them she was going to go take a walk. They were all panicking but Artemis stood up and asked to accompany Cathleen on her walk. Cathleen agreed and the girls walked out of the kitchen.

 **Artemis's POV**

Artemis was really nervous and concerned as she walked beside Cathleen. Finally she drew up the courage to coax the girl into talking to her.

"Connor told me that you had a nightmare, do you want to tell me what it was about?" Artemis asked lightly.

"It was about the Joker. He kept asking where all of you were. I kept refusing him and he told me that things happen when little girls don't tell the truth. Then he showed me Batman and Robin's dead bodies" Cathleen told her. The younger girl sounded close to tears and Artemis stopped them and pulled her into a hug. Cathleen's small body was racked with sobs as she explained her awful dream to Artemis. Artemis felt terrible for the younger girl and she didn't know what to do to help her. She ended up comforting Cathleen and letting her cry.

"Shh . . . Don't worry, Batman and Robin are safe. Everyone is okay. The Joker can't get to you. He's back in Arkham and I promise I won't ever let him hurt you again" Artemis soothed Cathleen. Cathleen eventually stopped crying and wiped away her tears.

"I'm okay . . . Thank you for listening to me" Cathleen thanked Artemis. Artemis had the vague feeling that Cathleen would be alright and she smiled. Artemis started telling jokes as they walked back into the mountain and they smiled and laughed as they entered the hanger. Artemis pulled Cathleen aside before they joined the others.

"You can talk to anyone on the Team if you ever have a nightmare or you feel scared. We are your family and we care about you. We won't judge and we only want to help you feel better" Artemis told her. Cathleen gave her a grateful smile and nodded as they walked back to the group. The Team gave Artemis a questioning glance and she smiled indicating it was okay. Dick seemed to sense the change in his sister and he visibly brightened.

The Team hung out all day and had a great time. They were all excited for spring break which started next week and they talked about doing the sleepover thing again as soon as possible.

{ Alright, there is my chapter. I already have started writing the next one and I think it will be a long one ;) Thanks for reading and I'll see y'all soon ~ Sugar }


	10. Chapter 10

{Hey guys! I think this chapter will be a long one so I hope you like it. I have kinda messed up the ages of some of the characters but idk. In this chapter I'm going to introduce Damian and he is a month older than Cathleen. Bear with me ~ Sugar }

Gray Dove was practicing her exercises in the Safe House when she heard the door open. She went to greet her visitor and saw that it was Fox and she was with a boy who looked to be about Cathleen's age. The boy had dark black hair and shiny blue eyes that reminded her of her brother. He was wearing a gray sweatshirt and black sweatpants.

"Gray Dove, I need you to do me a favor" Fox told her with a smile. Gray Dove was instantly suspicious but she nodded anyways.

"This is my son Damian. I was wondering if you could babysit him for a few hours?" Fox questioned. Gray Dove was shocked but then she remembered that Fox thought she was actually thirteen. She nodded and held out a hand.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Damian" Gray Dove said evenly. Fox tightened her hand on her son's shoulder and he held out his hand to shake hers.

"It's nice to meet you as well Gray Dove" he told her. His voice was icy but Gray Dove could detect some curiosity and she smiled at him.

"How long?" she asked as she turned towards Fox.

"Three days. You have told me that you have this weekend off so I hoped you might be able to watch him" Fox told Gray Dove. Gray Dove agreed and asked if he had any toiletries, Fox handed her two duffel bags and left without another word.

"Who are you?" Damian asked.

"I'm Gray Dove. The hero of Carriksvile" she replied as she set the bags aside.

"You're a hero?" he asked with a hint of disgust.

"I am, is that a problem?" Gray Dove questioned.

"Not really, I'm just wondering why my mother would trust _you_ " he told her. She sighed.

"Your mother has been training me for the past three years" she told him.

"Really? She never takes pupils. She was forced to a while back but she threatened to kill her student" he said surprised.

"Oh" Gray Dove said equally surprised.

"Can we spar?" Damian asked. She gave him a shrug and walked towards the training mat. They both took up fighting stances and he came at her. She easily blocked and flipped him over. She let go quickly and he was up again in an instant.

"How did you do that?" he asked.

"Quick reflexes" she told him lightly. He asked her to spar a couple more times and she was able to beat him with few moves each time. Finally she asked him if he wanted a snack. He agreed and she got some Fritz's white chocolate covered pretzels out of the pantry. She poured some into a bowl and put them away. She sat down on the couch and asked him what he wanted to do. He seemed very taken aback by the question and didn't have an answer. She suggested they watch a movie and she pulled out the Princess Bride. He was very hesitant to take any of the food offered to him and she was shocked that this was one of the only times he had ever watched a movie.

Gray Dove asked him questions about his childhood and was saddened to find that he had grown up with the League of Assassins and that he didn't have any friends. She offered to be his friend and he accepted warily as if he expected her to pull a 180 and start treating him horribly. She decided that she would show him that she was a good person and that there were people he could trust in the world.

Around dinner time, she changed out of her costume, making sure to put on her tinted glasses so that Damian couldn't recognize her civilian identity. She grabbed some cash from her room and told Damian that they were going out to eat. He followed her and was surprised to find that she actually looked closer to his age. She asked him not to tell his mother that she _was_ actually his age. She told him to pretend to be her boyfriend and hold her hand as she led them through the shops.

 **Damian's POV**

He followed her orders and was curious to try pizza, which she claimed was one of America's greatest foods. They stopped at a pizza place and walked in. Gray Dove told him to call her Lina in public because that was a shortened version of her middle name. {Cathleen's middle name is actually Angelina} They got a medium cheese pizza to share and Lina was really nice to Damian the entire time. Damian couldn't help but be wary and look for a slip in behavior at any moment. He was used to instructors acting nice for the first day but he knew that no one could actually be as nice as Lina was acting. He really enjoyed the pizza, especially when lina started to explain the different types of pizzas and she went into a totally different world. She snapped out of her daze when the server came back and gave him a big smile. Lina got them a brownie sundae to share and he felt that he was actually starting to like her, even if this was just all an act. The restaurant only gave them one spoon so Lina would take a bite then pass it to him. He tried to refuse at first but she argued that since they were acting as though they were a couple, they shouldn't be that upset over sharing a spoon.

After dinner, she took him to the mall and showed him all these different stores that she loved. She took him to a candy store and they got really hyper. They were really giddy and she made him try all of the tiny roller coasters with her. They had a great time and she bought him a watch so that he could keep track of the time. She also bought him a comb because she said that "all boys should look nice at almost all times."

It was starting to get late when she led him back to the Safe House. She was really trusting and told him that she wasn't going to lock him in as long as he stayed in the Safe House. She left him alone to get ready for bed as she called her brother. He asked why she would need to call her brother and she said that it was because her dad was really overprotective and her brother needed to know to cover for her for the next few days. She went into her room to get changed then came out and set up two makeshift beds for them on the couches. She told him to wake her if he needed anything and then fell asleep easily. Once Damian knew Lina was asleep, he got up and looked around the safe house. He didn't want to disturb anything so mostly he just explored. He came upon a room near the back that had a ton of pictures of Lina in her Gray Dove costume with another girl who was in civilian clothes. In the pictures, The two girls were smiling and laughing. The photos all were taken in different places but in every photo, both girls seemed duper happy. Damian wished that he could have someone that he could smile with, but his studies with the League of Assassins were far more important. He was considering his training when he heard a scream. He frowned and rushed back into the main room where Lina was sleeping. She seemed to be having a nightmare and she kept thrashing and kicking. She was crying in her sleep and Damian instinctively brushed away her tears.

"Dick is that you?" Lina called. Damian didn't know what to do so he said yes and hoped that she would go back to a peaceful sleep. However, she started talking again.

"Oh Dick, it was awful. Damian was there and he was falling and I couldn't save him and then dad said that it was my fault" she cried out. There were tears running down her face again and he froze at the sound of his name.

"Lina, it's not your fault" he told her quietly.

"Yes it is! Damian is so nice and I'm an awful hero and I couldn't save him! It's all my fault" she cried again. He soothed her and sat with her until the nightmare was over. Then he went to his bed to sleep, but all the while the thought of how his 'death' affected her made him wonder. _Was Lina actually real or was she just an act? Could she really be that nice?_

 **Damian's POV**

Damian woke up to the smell of eggs and toast. He looked over and found that Lina had slipped out to get breakfast for the two of them. He smiled and came to the table.

"What do you want for breakfast?" Lina asked. He shrugged and she let him have access to all the plates. He took a little bit of everything and chatted with Lina as they ate.

Once they were done, Lina put everything away and announced it was time to train. Damian was immediately alert and followed her on to the training mat.

"Okay, so I do these exercises every morning and today you are going to follow me through them" she told him cheerily. He nodded and she did her first stretch. She showed him how to do each stretch as they went and she told him that it was a bit like yoga.

After they had finished the exercises, which were easy if a bit exhausting, they moved on to acrobatics. She told him that she was going to teach him how to do flips and all sorts of things like that. He followed her examples and he felt proud when his flips improved. She congratulated him on his achievements but unlike his other instructors, she didn't punish him when he failed. She kindly showed him what he did wrong so he could fix it. The exercises and training wore him out but it was actually really fun and mostly painless. He was actually a bit disappointed when she stopped them for lunch. Later, they were walking down the street and basically just talking. They weren't holding hands but Damian was able to stay with her in the crowds. They were passing by an alley when someone grabbed Lina and pulled her into the alley. It took Damian a second to notice, but he followed them in. He saw a large guy holding Lina and muffling her shouts with his hand. Damian was completely surprised when two other men grabbed his arms and held him away from Lina. The man holding Lina was whispering things to Lina that made her eyes go wide with anger, but then it turned to fear when the man spoke out loud.

"I really do like you, girlie. But we can't have your boyfriend spoiling our fun now can we?" The man said in a malicious tone as he gave a signal to the other men.

"Now, if you come with us, we won't hurt him. But if you give us trouble my buddies snap his neck" the leader said while letting go of Lina. Damian wished that she would run, anyone else would have, but she stood there trembling. Not in fear of the men but of what they would do to Damian.

Suddenly a teen in a red and yellow costume swooped in from above. He took out the men quickly and Lina ran to give him a hug. Damian recognized the teen as Robin and he was confused at the affection which Robin showed Lina.

"You should have run" Robin told Lina.

"I couldn't leave my friend. You of all people should know that" Lina retorted. She pulled back and gave Robin a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Now go before B catches you out on patrol without him again" Lina told him. Robin shrugged then shot a grappling hook out of the alley. Lina watched him until he was gone and then turned to Damian.

"Are you okay?" she asked concerned. He waved her off.

"How do you know Robin?" he asked. She bit her lip then answered him.

"Robin is an acquaintance of mine as Gray Dove, he's like my second older brother" Lina told him. Damian nodded and offered her his hand. She accepted it gladly and they strolled out of the alley.

It had been three days since Gray Dove had been chosen to watch over Damian. She felt that he had truly enjoyed staying with her and she hoped he would be able to come again. She had been so focused on teaching him flips that she had not noticed when Fox came in. When Gray Dove had called for a break, they had both been stunned to see Fox watching them intently.

"Thank you for taking care of my son" Fox told Gray Dove.

"It was no trouble at all, he is a wonderful kid" Gray Dove replied. Damian gave Gray Dove a small smile and went to collect his things.

"Will I be able to babysit again?" Gray Dove asked. Fox cocked her head.

"Possibly, though I do not want him to miss out on his training" Fox replied. Gray Dove nodded and gave both of them a quick hug goodbye. They both nodded and then left silently. _I feel so bad for Damian! How could he survive being cooped up like that? Maybe I can convince Fox to give him more freedoms . . ._

 **Damian's POV**

Damian was actually going to miss Gray Dove. She had proved that there were nice people in the world and he could see why his mother liked her. Not only was she an exceptional fighter, she was also loyal, modest, and kind.

"What did you think of my star pupil?" Talia asked.

"She had great potential, she seems like she is extremely loyal to those she holds dear, she would be one of the best agents if she were loyal to us" Damian replied.

"I suppose you have seen why I don't want to bring her into our business yet?" talia asked dryly.

"She is innocent. She sees the good in everyone. I can understand why you would want to preserve that" Damian answered evenly. Talia sighed.

"It is quite easy to grow fond of her isn't it? She accepted you and I without a single doubt because that's the kind of person she is" Talia told him.

"She needs time to mature before we bring her into the League of Assassins, otherwise, I fear that we may lose what makes her so special" Talia added. Damian nodded. He hoped that he would be able to see her again, she was a light that could shine through any darkness and he wanted to be able to keep that light in his life.

{ Okay, that's my chapter. I hope you all enjoy! ~ Sugar }


	11. Chapter 11

{Hey guys! This chapter might be a bit hard to understand because it starts off kinda weird. Stay with me and please review ~ Sugar }

Gray dove sprinted along the beams, careful to stay silent. _If only I had listened when he told me to stay away. But I couldn't leave him and now I am in danger of being caught and recognized. Why couldn't I leave him? I knew that logically he would be okay, but something told me that he was in serious danger._ Gray Dove breathed heavily as she ran and threw herself into a corner. She heard her pursuers pass her and she let out a sigh of relief. _What have I gotten myself into?_

 **Kayla's POV (Two days earlier)**

Catheen was skipping and twirling around and it made Kayla smile. Cathleen was holding her new kitten Pisica, and the girl was positively glowing.

"Oh Kayla, we are finally free!" she exclaimed happily. Kayla rolled her eyes.

"Understand me if I'm a little hesitant to share my identity with your team" Kayla told her.

"Our team" Cathleen corrected her friend. Kayla shook her head in annoyance.

"I promise they will love you" Cathleen reassured her. Kayla glanced at her feet.

"I guess I'm just so used to it being just you and me. I don't know if I'm ready to share you with so many other people" Kayla admitted. Cathleen ran up and gave her a hug.

"No one could ever steal me away from my best friend" Cathleen told her. Kayla gave her a smile and hugged her back. Kayla was actually a full year older than Cathleen, but they had both been moved up to higher grades. Kayla often forgot how close that had made them. Kayla loved hanging out with her friend and helping her out with superhero stuff. They had always been an unstoppable duo and now Kayla only hoped that the Team would accept her even if she didn't want to fight. They walked towards the old photo booth and Cathleen handed her a pair of tinted sunglasses that matched her own. Kayla heard the computer announce their names and she wore a bemused expression as Cathleen dragged her over to the rest of the team. Cathleen smiled even wider as she showed them her kitten.

"She looks very sweet" Artemis said kindly. Artemis gave Cathleen a pointed look and Cathleen started in surprise.

"Oh, this is my bestest friend in the world. You guys met her as Eyes and she is the one who usually monitors me on patrols. Batman said she could join us on missions as a backup pair of _eyes_ " Cathleen said with a giggle.

"We also decided that since we don't want anyone to know our secret identities, you all can call me, Lina, and her, Anna. Those are both shortened versions of our nicknames so Batman won't know a thing" Cathleen, no, _Lina_ told them. The Team all gave their greetings and Anna was pleasantly surprised at how nice they were. They were all chatting about their plans for over spring break when they heard the computer announce Batman's arrival. Anna stiffened and she felt Lina slip a hand into hers. She relaxed at the comfort of her friend and she shot her a weak smile. Lina gave her another smile, this one seemed to be a lot brighter.

"Team, we got a tip for a drug deal for Kobra Venom. This deal is supposed to occur in two days. This tip was not completely verifiable, so the Justice League can't just walk in there. The Team will be scouting out the deal and observing. If you can tell that the deal is legit, then call the Justice League. You are allowed to engage, but only if absolutely necessary" Batman told them. He glanced at Anna. Bioship while the rest of you are patrolling. I will leave you to discuss your plan of action" Batman said gruffly before walking away. Lina squealed.

"OMG! You get to come with us, Anna, this is so cool!" Lina exclaimed. The other Team members seemed mildly amused at Lina's antics and they all were laughing lightly. Anna gave them a small smile and she asked for a tour. Lina grabbed Anna's hand and dragged her around the mountain. Their final stop was the training room and Lina looked wistfully at the gymnastic bars. Anna offered to hold Pisica and Lina agreed happily.

Anna sat down in one of the chairs and watched as Lina walked up to the bars and jumped up to them. Anna always enjoyed watching her friend do flips on the bars and she smiled at the evident joy in Lina's face. Anna saw the other Team members enter the room and she motioned for them to stay quiet. They all stood beside Anna and watched as their youngest friend did intricate moves through the air.

A sudden inspiration struck Anna and she pulled out her phone. She swiped through the apps until she came to Pandora. She turned the sound all the way up and saw Lina smile even wider as she heard the opening music. Lina did one last flip so that she was standing on the highest bar and she gave them a small wave. Anna skipped to the actual station and Lina started to dance to the music. This dance was extremely dangerous, but Lina had perfected it ages ago. She spun through the air and jumped between the bars. Instead of catching the bar with her hands, she would land feet first and twirl to the music and she flipped and jumped. Anna heard the members of the Team gasp as they saw her dance but Anna was unaffected. This had been one of the things that Lina had done constantly to improve her balance and reflexes. At one point, Lina turned towards Anna and raised an eyebrow. Anna laughed and stood up. Anna walked over to the first bar and jumped up. She pulled herself up and almost fell when Lina landed beside her. Anna steadied herself and took Lina's proffered hand. Lina jumped and pulled them both up to the next bar. Anna wasn't very good at staying balanced, but Lina kept her upright as they danced on the bars. Anna could sense the Team's amazement as they watched the girls and eventually Pandora played an add. Anna and Lina jumped to the floor and went back over to the others laughing. Robin was the first one to speak as he handed the cat back to Lina.

"When did you learn how to do that?" he asked.

"At the place where I train, there isn't a lot of equipment, but I do have gymnastic bars. At one point I started to try and walk across each one without falling and then I started to jump in between them. One day, Anna was playing music so I started to dance. I eventually convinced her to join me and we have been practicing ever since" Lina told them as she cuddled Pisica.

"Do you know of a person called Fox?" Robin asked the girls. Lina froze.

"Umm, yes, she was teaching me to fight" Lina stammered.

"We don't know her name and we made sure that she doesn't know ours" Anna cut in. Robin frowned and gave them a small nod of acknowledgement.

"Okay, well can you teach me how to dance on the bars like that?" Artemis asked.

"Totally!" Lina agreed. Suddenly Anna's watch beeped, signaling that it was time for Lina and Anna to leave. They both said quick goodbyes and rushed out.

Once they were back at the Safe House, Lina changed into her Gray Dove costume and handed Pisica to Kayla. Kayla took off her glasses and tossed them back to Gray Dove, along with Gray Dove's com link. Gray Dove flashed her an appreciative smile and flipped out the window. Kayla rolled her eyes at her friend's theatrics and went over to the wall of computers. They had brought in a bed for Pisica and the cat curled up easily. Kayla sat down and grabbed her water from earlier. She settled in and prepared for a long night.

 **The day of the mission**

Gray Dove was so happy that she was practically jumping for joy. They were finally going on a mission! All of the other members of the Team were trying to conceal their smiles as they watched Gray Dove tremble with excitement. They all lost it when she actually ran up and gave Batman a quick hug. The brooding man in black was completely stunned and it took him a second to get a hold of himself as he got over the shock of what just happened. Gray Dove didn't notice any of their reactions as both Eyes and her looked in awe at the Bioship. Miss Martian had the door open and the two girls gasped in amazement. They followed the other teens into the Bioship and the older members laughed at the thrilled smiles the girls wore as the seatbelts fastened around them and the Bioship took off. Gray Dove looked out the window and was astonished at the beauty of the cities below her. The ride was sadly quite short and the Team all got into positions as the Bioship came up to the agreed location. Miss Martian set up the telepathic link and smiled at the two new girl's expressions. Miss Martian set the Bioship to autopilot and they all dropped down onto the street below them. The Team had already determined that they would patrol in duos. This time Artemis was with Gray Dove and they both nodded as they set off.

Gray Dove crept along the outside of the factory and peeked into the windows. She froze when she recognized Damian standing near one of the men making the deal. She noticed that he was putting up the facade that he was calm when he was actually really scared. Gray Dove also noticed that he was armed to the teeth and his hands kept straying down to his daggers at his sides. Artemis sent her a questioning glance and Gray Dove waved her off. Artemis nodded and they pulled out their Justice League co links. They called the League and waited for the older heroes to arrive.

As if sensing that they had been found out, the men immediately pulled out their weapons and made a circle around the product.

"We've been made" Artemis told the Team. Gray Dove sent her a questioning look. Artemis shrugged and crashed through the window. Gray Dove followed her lead and began to fight. She dropped unconscious men at her feet easily as she danced around the dark factory. Artemis was not doing as great, but their odds went up as the rest of the Team came into the factory. Somehow, some of the men got past Gray Dove's friends and they tried to escape with the Kobra Venom. Gray Dove followed them and kept quiet. Damian spotted her and he gave her a quick shake of his head. She ignored this and jumped out of the shadows, separating the men from the Kobra Venom. The men noticed their odds and ran over to a helicopter that had been waiting. Damian gave Gray Dove one last warning with his eyes before he joined the other men on the helicopter. She pretended to nod and walk back into the shadows, but she shot out a grappling hook and pulled herself up so that she was under the helicopter. She didn't know why she had done this instead of just putting a tracker on the helicopter, but she dismissed it as concern for Damian's safety.

"Track my location, I am following the other men" Gray Dove told the Team.

"Place a tracker and let them go" Robin told her.

"Too late for that" she replied. She could feel his anger at her over the link but she ignored it. She let her thoughts drift as the helicopter flew onward.

Several hours later, they started to come up on a huge building in the wilderness. She waited until the helicopter had landed and all the occupants were long gone before entering the building. She kept to the Shadows and followed the men as they went to a large room. She watched as the men bowed to a man who looked like he was sitting on a throne.

"You have failed me in the task I have given you" the leader man said harshly. One of the men cowered and Gray Dove realized that LM (leader man) was going to punish them.

"Normally I would punish you, but I am feeling lenient. If you can catch the young hero that followed you here and is currently spying on us, I will forgive you" LM said evenly. Gray Dove realized he was talking about her and she turned tail and ran.

 **Back to original timeline**

Gray Dove knew that she should not have followed Damian, but she had genuinely thought that he might be in trouble. She now realized that he knew he would be forced to capture her if she followed him. The only thing he didn't know was that she had practiced sneaking around under the Batman's careful eye. Batman had never caught her when she didn't want to be noticed and if they thought they could find her easily, they were in for a surprise.

Gray Dove peeked around the corner and dashed through the halls, she heard ann announcement over the loudspeakers and groaned.

"All students, there is an intruder in our home. The person who catches her will get a reward from the Master himself." A man's clear voice cut into the halls around her. Gray Dove winced at the thought of all the would-be assassins that would now be looking for her. She spotted a air vent and noted that it was the perfect size for her. She quickly took off the cover and crawled inside. She pulled out her watch and tried to connect to the building's main interface. It took her a second to hack into it, but she eventually cut power to all the motion sensors, video cameras, and audio devices. She made a speaker in the hall on the other side of the building start blaring music from her playlists and held back a snicker as she heard people running that way. Gray Dove pulled up the building's schematics and looked for her way out. She followed the path that her wristwatch gave her until she felt the mind link come into range.

"Hey guys, I'm hidden but I might need a distraction to get out of here" she told the team. She heard them give their consent and smiled as she heard several loud crashes. She leapt out from the air vents and sprinted towards the exit. She cursed as she saw several helicopters take off holding the residents of the building. Gray Dove saw her friends fighting the remaining men and she went to help them.

Later, they had tied up all the remaining criminals and Gray Dove was standing next to Robin.

"What were you thinking?" Robin yelled at her.

"I had to stay with the helicopter because I knew they would notice a tracker" she told him. He gave her a batglare and she turned away from him.

"Don't you just walk away! You should have told Artemis or at least someone to come with you! You don't understand how I, I mean _we_ , would have felt if something happened to you?" he yelled.

"I'm sorry that I made you worry, but my instincts helped us. I will try to listen to you in the future" she apologized quietly. Robin relaxed and pulled her into a hug.

"Just make sure to be careful next time" he said softly. She pulled back and gave him a smile and they walked over to join the Team.

"You all did very well, now I believe that it would be best to return to the cave" Aqualad told them. They all agreed and Miss Martian called the Bioship. Gray Dove ran in and gave Eyes a hug.

"How was it?" Gray Dove asked.

"Amazing! I gave them ideasover the mind link as they fought and I felt really helpful!" Eyes told her excitedly.

"I'm sure you were!" Gray Dove replied matching her friend's tone. They talked about what Gray Dove had missed and laughed as they went home. Gray Dove was glad that this had been a successful mission and she smiled as her friend gushed all the way home.

 **Damian's POV**

Damian frowned as he knelt in front of his grandfather.

"I apologize for my mistakes, grandfather" Damian said softly.

"Oh Damian, that shipment was meaningless and that base had outlived its usefulness. I was truly wanting to know how the Young Justice Team would act. I was pleasantly surprised at how the new member performed. Gray Dove has caught my eye many times before and it appears her skills are second to none. She was able to fight my best men and take them down easily. She hacked my systems in seconds which should have been extremely hard to do. She escaped you and my other men and was able to hide herself in a place that she has never been. I think that proves how ready she is to be brought into our association" Ra's al Ghul said calmly.

"Grandfather, she is completely innocent, please let her keep that at least for a bit longer" Damian pleaded. Ra's cocked his head.

"Your mother said the same thing. I have already agreed to wait until she is older, but I want to know what exactly has made both of my family members love her so quickly" Ra's said thoughtfully. Ra's motioned for Damian to speak and Damian hesitated.

"Gray Dove is human and she thinks the League of Assassins is evil, but she easily trusted both my mother and I. I don't know why my mother is so protective of her, but when Gray Dove fell asleep ad allowed me free roam of her home, that did it for me. She had taken me to all sorts of places all over town and she was never mean to me. The next morning she helped me perfect my flips, but she never got mad when I failed, not even when I kicked her in the face. She just laughed and told me how to fix what I was doing wrong. I have come to love her like a sister and her easy way of making anyone become her family is incredible. I know that she is scared of people finding out her secret identity but I believe that this is only because she doesn't want to stop being a hero. I believe that she probably already has the Young Justice Team loving her and I don't expect that it will take her long to get through to the Justice League and I believe that they will be out for blood if they ever lose her. We ran into Robin in our civilian identities and he seemed very overprotective of her. Given a couple of weeks, I would say that you could control the whole league by holding a knife to her neck. She is strong but I am not certain her spirit could survive our ways at this age. Grandfather, I don't not have any requests but I do advise you to wait until she is older, otherwise you could bring every superhero that has ever met her down upon us" Damian said evenly. Ra's looked very taken aback by the strong emotions that Damian had expressed and he was silent for a long time.

"I will consider your words" Ra's said finally. Damian nodded and stood to leave.

"Do you know who she is?" Ra's asked. Damian shook his head.

"She said to call her Lina because that was a shortened version of her middle name" Damian admitted. Ra's nodded and didn't stop Damian when he turned to leave for the second time.

{How was that? I hope you like Damian's brotherly love for Gray Dove, should I make it something more? I will keep it as is unless someone makes a suggestion. Was anyone confused when I talked about Cathleen being Gray Dove and being Lina? Or when I talked about Kayla being Eyes and being Anna? Ehh, I hope you all understood that. Also, I now have more favorites/followers on my story! Thank you to **DaCatOfAdventure** , **NightmareOnElmStreetFan** , **ZabuzasGirl** , **Dark Yellow Dino** , **nikkielizabeth** , **Hoodedgenius98** , and **shannzieegan**! You all are so awesome and it always makes me smile to look at my story and see that a whopping six people actually like my story! Thank you for reading! ~ Sugar }


	12. Chapter 12

{Hello readers, who's ready for the next chapter? I know I am. This chapter is basically a bunch of fluff with the Justice League members meeting Gray Dove/Lina, she is not going to tell anyone else about her secret identity. Thanks again for reading ~ Sugar }

 **Batman's POV (at the Watchtower)**

"We are here to discuss the newest member of the Team" Batman said gruffly. The other members of the Justice League nodded and he continued.

"Gray Dove is a young hero and we know that the members of the Team trust her, but what do we actually know?" he asked.

"Aqualad has informed me that she has in fact, revealed her identity to the Team and that he believes her reason for hiding her identity is valid. Apparently, Gray Dove is someone that many of them have met in their civilian lives and they all agreed that she is more than trustworthy" Aquaman stated in a calm tone.

"I have known Gray Dove for a while and I believe that she will reveal herself to the League eventually, but she fears that Batman will force her to give up being a superhero if he knows her identity" Red Arrow added. Batman gave a gruff sigh and nodded.

"Gray Dove is a really sweet girl and I believe that she would be more trusting of the League if she could spend some quality time with each of us" Black Canary spoke up. The other Leaguers looked at her and she elaborated.

"She feels that we will sideline her as soon as we know who she is, I agree with her. Some of you will most undoubtedly feel that she is incapable of being a hero and this feeling is very logical given her age. Although you might find that Gray Dove's skill set is really impressive if you spent some time with her. She is very personable and very sweet. If each of the members of the League could meet her, I believe that you would all come to trust her" Black Canary said evenly. The League members frowned softly as they considered her words.

"It probably wouldn't hurt if we each were given the chance to assess her" Flash offered. Batman nodded in agreement.

"If this is what we have decided, I think we should schedule a time when each Leaguer can meet her" He said finally. The Leaguers nodded and they got down to business.

 **Flash's POV**

Flash was sitting in the kitchen of the mountain looking at a newspaper when he heard the computer announce Gray Dove's arrival. He zoomed up to meet her and gave her a big smile.

"Hey kiddo! I'm here to test your reaction times, you ready?" he asked quickly. She started at him as she processed his words. She was wearing her civilian clothes but she had on a pair of tinted sunglasses that covered her eyes. Her blonde hair was in two french braids and they laid nicely on her shoulders. She shrugged and gave him a small smile.

"While I'm out of costume you can call me Lina, that's a shortened version of my middle name" she told him. Flash gave her another smile and they walked to the Training Room. Once they got there, she turned and looked at him expectantly.

"Okay, so first I want you to go stand in the middle of the room in that chalk circle. Then I am going to run to different spots in the room and throw these dodgeballs at you. Batman said you should try to keep the dodgeballs out of the circle. So I will keep throwing until one of them lands in the circle, okay?" he waited for her to understand. She gave him a quick nod and he started to run. He grabbed dodgeballs from where Batman had placed them all around the room and started throwing. She deflected them really easily until one hit her side, she was able to keep it out of the circle, but her sunglasses fell off. Flash noticed but didn't say anything when he realized her eyes were closed. He kept throwing dodgeballs for at least an hour before stopping. He ran up and grabbed her glasses, handing them back to her gently. She put the glasses back on and gave him a smile. She motioned for him to follow her and he did. Lina led Flash to the kitchen and he watched as she spun around the room gathering ingredients. She tossed him an energy bar to snack on while she cooked.

Several minutes later, she was taking a batch of cookies out of the oven. She put in the next batch and dumped the cookies onto a plate. She took three for herself and gave the rest to Flash. He took them gladly and she started up a conversation.

"Am I going to have any of the other Leaguers test my skills?" She asked politely. Flash swallowed another cookie and then replied to her.

"Yes, they all wanted a chance to meet you in person, so Black Canary set up several times that we could come." - Flash

"Okay, do you like the cookies?" - Lina

"Heck yeah! These are amazing, what's in em?" - Flash

"Lots of vitamins, lots of sugar, and lots of chocolate. My second father taught me the recipe." - Lina

"Ok, how's school going?" - Flash

"It's going great! I'm rocking all my classes" - Lina

"Cool, what's your favorite class?" - Flash

"Probably French, I love learning languages and French is really beautiful" - Lina

"You said languages plural, how many different languages do you know?" - Flash

"Three main languages: Romanian, Spanish, and Italien. But I know something in a lot of different languages because I used to travel with my parents" - Lina

"Wow that's a lot! What other facts about you should I know?" - Flash

"Well, I became a superhero because my birth parents were killed, Batman actually caught the killers and I wanted to grow up and be like him." Lina said as she pulled out the next batch of cookies. Flash nodded. He knew why Black Canary and Red Arrow liked her so much, the girl was amazing. She was a great cook and she knew that he would like a lot of cookies so she knew to make several batches. She hadn't bragged about knowing a lot of languages and was very humble. Flash was startled out of his observations as Superboy came in.

"Hey Lina! Are you making cookies?" Superboy asked with a grin. Lina gave him a smile and handed him one of the several plates of cookies that she had set out. Superboy gave her a one armed hug and thanked her as he went to sit at the table near Flash. Apparently some of the other young heros had heard that Lina was making cookies and they all came out to get some. Flash hadn't really noticed at first, but Lina seemed to have a plate of cookies for each of her friends. He watched as they all smiled at her kindness. They all gave her hugs and sat down at the table.

"Hey Lina, are you going to make some of your famous smoothies?" Zatanna asked. Flash gave Lina a questioning look but she just laughed and went over to the fridge. She grabbed a ton of fruits and pulled out the blender. She also grabbed some cups and she hummed as she made the smoothies. She handed one to each person and leaned against the wall as her friends tried the smoothies. Flash was astonished at the bursts of flavor in the smoothie and he really liked it. It was right then when his nephew and Robin entered the mountain via zeta tube. They both spotted Lina holding cookies and they ran over to her. Flash smiled as they both praised her and grabbed their smoothies and cookies. Kid Flash sat next to his uncle and gave him a satisfied smile. Flash watched as the group started to banter easily. At one point superboy started to get annoyed at Kid Flash but Lina intervened and gave them both more cookies. Flash watched as the group talked and Lina kept everyone from getting mad at each other with cookies. _This girl really knows what she's doing. She makes it seem easy as she babies the group. It's funny seeing how she treats them like small children when she's actually younger than them._ Flash finally had to go and he found that he was disappointed that he didn't have any more time to spend with Lina and the Team. He ran to the zetas and considered his day with Lina as he patrolled. He sent a message to Batman later and smiled when the man in black asked him if Lina had actually kept all the dodgeballs out of the circle with her eyes closed. Flash found it amusing that the sweet girl could continue to impress the Batman even as she kept her identity from him. Flash couldn't wait for his next encounter with the young girl.

 **Wonder Woman's POV**

Wonder Woman was looking forward to meeting the girl who had managed to keep her identity from the great Batman. She entered the cave and remembered that Black Canary had told her that the young girl was probably in the kitchen. She walked in and found the girl wearing civies and pulling cookies out of the oven. Gray Dove was immediately aware of Wonder Woman's presence and she spun to offer the superheroine a cookie. Wonder Woman accepted one easily and her eyes widened as the flavor exploded in her mouth. Gray Dove gave her a small laugh.

"I'm guessing you like them? You can call me Lina since that's a shortened version of my middle name" the girl said with a smile. Wonder Woman gave Lina a nod and Lina's smile brightened.

"What will you be testing me on?" Lina asked.

"I shall be assessing your fighting skills. I know that Black Canary has been training with you, but I wish to see how you would react to fighting someone with twice the strength of a normal human" Wonder Woman replied easily. Lina gave her a quick nod and they set off for the Training Room. Once they were inside the ring, Lina took up her fighting stance. Wonder Woman took the first step and they started to exchange blows. Lina countered all of Wonder Woman's swings with fast moves. Lina threw her own swings and wonder Woman had to work hard to stay on top. They tussled for a while until Wonder Woman got the upper hand and flipped Lina onto the floor. Lina got up and gave Wonder Woman a bright smile.

"Thank you for sparring with me. I am glad I got to practice with such a great hero as you" Lina said happily.

"It was my pleasure, you are truly an excellent fighter" Wonder Woman told Lina. Then Lina skipped back to the kitchen. She found that all of the cookies had been eaten and she spun around in fake anger.

"Who dares to eat my cookies without permission" She yelled in a mock angry tone. Kid Flash zoomed out of the living room and got down on his knees.

"I admit to stealing the cookies, please have mercy on me, oh great and powerful Lina" he said playfully. Lina gave him a soft hit to his shoulder and clutched her stomach, giggling, as Kid Flash rolled around on the floor in fake agony.

"Oh it hurts. You have dealt me the most grievous of wounds and I fear that I may not be able to continue" Kid Flash announced dramatically. Wonder Woman, who had been watching the scene play out, laughed as she watched the two kids banter. Wonder Woman was impressed when, instead of getting annoyed, Lina gave Wally a smile and walked back into the kitchen. _Lina seems to get along really well with the Team. She has only been here a month and already they act as though they have known her for ages. Lina never seems to lash out at anyone and acts as though she thrives on other people's happiness. She almost always has a huge smile on her face and the other teens benefit from her happy go lucky attitude._ Wonder Woman smiled fondly at Lina, the girl was perfect for the Team and any doubts Wonder Woman might have had earlier were swept aside by Lina's smiles and cookies.

 **Green Arrow's POV**

Green Arrow was curious to meet the girl that his former protege, Red Arrow, was so fond of. Green Arrow smiled as Gray Dove skipped into the mountain. She was wearing a pink t-shirt and gray sweatpants.

"Hello Green Arrow! You can call me Lina cause that's short for my middle name" Lina said happily.

"Hello Lina, I am going to be assessing your aim" Green Arrow told the happy girl. Lina nodded and skipped as they went to the Training Room. Green Arrow set up the targets and handed the girl a practice bow with some arrows. Lina took them with a grin and eyed the targets. After a few seconds, she pulled the bow up and shot three arrows, one after another. Green Arrow went to look at the targets and was surprised to find that all of the arrows were in the middle circle. None of them were on the direct center, but they were close.

"Who taught you how to shoot?" Green arrow asked Lina.

"Red Arrow taught me" she replied happily.

"Are you always this happy?" Green Arrow asked.

"Most of the time, but Robin has been teaching me how to stay in 'neutral tone' during a fight. He says that it will help me to stay focused easier, but I think that I work just fine when I am able to show my emotions" Lina answered. Green Arrow smiled and shook his head. _I can understand why Roy liked her, she is just an innocent ball of happiness. I hope Robin gives up early, because this is the type of attitude that everyone loves._ Green Arrow grabbed more arrows and worked with Lina to improve her aim.

"A good archer practices until he gets it right, a hero practices until he never gets it wrong" Green Arrow told her. {That's my little reference to Ranger's Apprentice because I absolutely loved that series and I think everyone should read it} Green Arrow worked with Lina and they talked as her shots got better and better. He learned that her preferred weapon was daggers although she had trained herself to use almost all weapons. He liked listening to her as she spoke and he would ask questions whenever she would pause for a breath. Lina told him all sorts of stories about the Team and Green Arrow was a bit sad when he had to leave. She gave him a plate full of cookies to take for himself and another plate for Red Arrow. He gave her a big smile as he walked to the zeta tubes. _She seems like she's a great kid. I'm glad that she's on the Team._

 **Superman's POV**

Superman had heard praises from four different Leaguers and he was interested to meet the girl who had impressed his friends. He arrived at the cave and found her playing tug of war with Wolf. He smiled and flew over to her.

"Hello Superman! You can call me Lina because that's part of my middle name. I was hoping that we could do something with Connor if you wouldn't mind" Lina told him cheerfully. Superman was surprised at her suggestion but he agreed anyways.

"Sure, if he wants to join us" Superman told her. She gave a squeal of happiness and ran off. She appeared moments later dragging a baffled Connor.

"I was not actually going to be assessing you today but I wanted to meet you in person" Superman said. Lina nodded.

"Okay, you guys can sit at the table while I make some cookies" Lina told the men. Connor shrugged and walked over to the table. Superman joined him and Lina started up a conversation.

"Connor how did your test in Science go?" Lina asked.

"Good, thanks for helping me to understand the different forces" Connor replied.

"You enjoy Science? That was one of my favorite subjects in school" Superman told him. Connor was surprised and they talked for a good ten minutes about school without Lina cutting in. She brought out two plates of cookies for them, continued to let them talk.

Superman had a great talk with Connor and he felt that he was actually getting to know the boy. He didn't realize until after he had left the cave that Lina hadn't really spoken at all, she had only cut in to ask them questions and help their conversation get started back up after it dwindled. He hadn't noticed at the time, but it was obvious that she had planned to help Superman and Connor get on to better terms. _Lina sure is smart, not even Batman has managed to get me and Connor on speaking terms._

 **Hawk Woman's POV**

Hawk Woman entered the zeta tube and gave an involuntary shiver as she felt herself being transported. She arrived at Mount Justice and waited for Hawk Man to appear.

"Shayera" he acknowledged her with a nod.

"Katar" she gave him a small smile. They took their masks off and waited for Gray Dove to arrive. They had been chosen to test her language skills since the both of them combined were very fluent in many tongues. They heard the computer announce Gray Dove's arrival and they saw her falter as she recognized them.

"Umm, Hi, I'm Gray Dove. although since we're at the cave, you can call me Lina" she said with a weak smile. Shayera nodded.

"You may call me Shayera and this is Katar" Shayera told the blushing girl.

"Oh I know who you are, it's just that I'm a huge fan and I'm kinda nervous at meeting you" Lina said shyly. Katar gave her a smile.

"We are going to test your fluency in languages" Katar told her. Lina nodded.

"Tu veux aller à la cuisine?" Lina asked in french. (You want to go to the kitchen)

"Oui, bonne idée" Shayera replied. (Yes, good idea)

They walked to the kitchen and the two older heroes asked Lina several questions about herself. She replied using very advanced vocab and they decided to move on to spanish.

"¿Cuál es tu color favorito?" Katar asked. (What is your favorite color)

"Mi color favorito es azul claro" Lina said easily. (My favorite color is light blue)

Shayera switched off with Katar and they continued to quiz Lina. Shayera was impressed with the girl's knowledge but Lina never made any attempt at bragging. Lina was quite humble and Shayera was enraptured by the stories that the girl told about the Team. At one point, Lina brought out some cookies and both of the older heros expressed their gratitude. They kept talking for another hour before Robin came in.

"Hey Lina" Robin said giving her a hug.

"Hey Rob" Lina greeted him easily. Robin gave Lina a kiss on the cheek and reached over to grab a cookie when it appeared that she wasn't looking. Lina noticed and smacked his hand.

"These are for our guests, I put a plate for you in the microwave" Lina told him with mock seriousness. Robin thanked her and gave her another hug before grabbing his plate of cookies and leaving. Shayera was surprised at the intimate moment that the two young heroes had just had, but it appeared that it was not romantic at all. Shayera asked Lina about it and Lina laughed.

"Robin's like my older brother, plus I know who he likes" Lina told her mysteriously. Shayera laughed and they went back to the language assessments. After a while, Lina told them that she had to go home for curfew but that she was happy to meet them and that she hoped to see them again soon. Shayera said that they felt the same and she was surprised to find that she genuinely ment it.

 **Aquaman's POV**

Aquaman smiled as his protege walked into the mountain calmly.

"My King" Kaldur said with a bow.

"It is good to see you, Kaldur. Do you know where I might find Gray Dove?" Aquaman asked.

"She was in the Hanger with Robin as of a few moments ago and she prefers to be called Lina since that is a small part of her full name" Kaldur answered. Aquaman nodded and gave another smile to his protege as he set off for the Hanger.

"-Fully wrong. How do you ever expect that to work?" Robin asked as he shook a wrench in the air.

"Well the wheels should move fast enough that the extra weight won't matter" Lina retorted moving to avoid the angry boy in her path.

This was the scene that Aquaman came upon as he walked into the Hanger.

"It won't work and you will end up not being able to get it to work" Robin told Lina.

"Well I don't care what you think, it will work and when it does I will laugh in your face!" Lina said loudly. Aquaman let out a small laugh at the two bickering teens and they both spun to face him.

"Aquaman!" they both exclaimed.

"Sorry to interrupt, but I need to assess Lina's skills in the water" Aquaman informed them. Both heroes gave him a nod and they separated as Robin went to put away the tools.

"I am told that you have a variety of skills, Lina, do these include swimming?" Aquaman asked politely.

"I can swim but I am not very good at it" Lina admitted. Aquaman nodded and they walked to the pool. Lina pulled off her clothes to reveal a gray wetsuit that fit her perfectly. Aquaman gave her a nod of approval and jumped into the pool. Lina did a graceful dive and surfaced next to him.

"What would you have me do first?" Lina asked.

"How about you just show me how fast your 'strokes' are" Aquaman told her. Lina nodded and swam over to the side. SHe pushed off the wall and started a fast Butterfly. She moved gracefully through the water and she was very fast, for a human. She switched to Backstroke and he saw that she hadn't slowed down, if anything, she got faster. She switched to Breaststroke and he watched her effortlessly pull herself through the water. Then she switched to Freestyle. This was what really impressed him, she moved like a bullet, shooting through the water until she came to the wall and stopped. Aquaman was stunned, her freestyle easily put her up there with the slightly above average Atlanteans. She was nowhere near as fast as Aqualad or himself, but she could definitely count her swimming as one of her assets. Lina frowned at Aquaman and he noticed that he had been spacing out.

"Was I that bad?" Lina asked hesitantly.

"Not at all, but I was thinking that I should probably test how well you can carry extra weight as you swim. That might come in handy if you needed to retrieve something or help a less experienced swimmer to get to shore" Aquaman told her. Lina nodded and swam to the side to get some weights. They talked about her technique and Aquaman found that she was extremely easy going when he corrected her form. She seemed really eager to learn and she never got angry when she got stuck. Aquaman realized that he really enjoyed teaching her and he was disappointed when they had to part ways. Before he left, Lina gave him a plate of cookies and he knew why the Team had accepted her so easily, those cookies were heaven!

{ Hello readers! I'm happy to report that my story has had a total of 800 views and 240 visitors! That's crazy! I'm not sure if any of them actually stuck with the story or even liked it, but the fact that that many people have even seen my story amazes me. If you have been reading my previous endnotes, you know that this is the part where I ask you to review. My deal about updating every night if I get 13 reviews is still standing. Please review or just favorite/follow my story ~ Sugar }


	13. Chapter 13

{Hey readers! I am happy to see all of you are sticking with my story and I want to thank y'all for that. I would like to put up another disclaimer, just so I don't have any lawyers breathing down my neck. So I don't own most of this, I only own my OCs and most of the plot line. I think I might copy and adapt some other writer's ideas so I can use them in my story, so sorry if any of you feel like this story is too similar to every other story out there. Anyways, thanks for reading and please review ~ Sugar }

 **Batman's POV**

Batman was standing in front of the computers when Gray Dove came in.

"Suit up, you're going to be patrolling with Robin and I tonight" he told her gruffly. She stood there in surprise for a second and then squealed and ran off. Probably to go tell Robin of the 'great news'. Batman waited impatiently near the zeta tube and sighed when he saw Robin and Gray Dove run up to meet him. He gave them a nod and stepped into the zeta tube. He appeared in the cave and started the Batmobile. The two bird-themed heros ran up to meet him and hopped into the Batmobile. They drove in silence before Batman parked the car and gave them his usual speech about being careful.

"Stay near me and yell if you need help" Batman told them. Gray Dove nodded excitedly. Batman jumped out of the car and swung up onto the rooftops. He saw Robin and Gray Dove follow and he set off.

They stopped a few small robberies and Gray Dove caught two muggers. Batman only nodded in acknowledgement before setting off again. He ignored the two whispering teens and kept going. Eventually, they came upon a bank heist being performed by Mr. Freeze. The ice villain was holding two large bags of gold and he scowled when he saw Batman. Batman leaped into action and started fighting. Mr. Freeze shot an ice blast at him and Robin, pinning them to the walls. Gray Dove approached Mr. Freeze warily and she did several flips to avoid his blasts.

"So the Batman has a new bird, eh?" Mr. Freeze mused aloud.

"I'm a temporary addition to Gotham's finest while I complete my training as a hero" Gray Dove answered breezily. Mr. Freeze laughed and Gray Dove took the opportunity to land several punches before rolling out of the way as he tried to hit her.

"And how old are you, girlie? Why are you with the Bat of all heroes? Do you have a special connection to him?" Mr. Freeze asked creepily.

"No special connection here, he's just the final person to test me before I can become an official sidekick" Gray Dove said evenly. Mr. Freeze grabbed her arm and she yelped in pain as he twisted her so that she was facing Batman with Freeze holding a sharp looking icicle to her throat. Batman had just managed to free himself and Robin from their icy imprisonment, but he stopped in his tracks as he faced the scene before him.

"Let her go, Freeze" Batman said menacingly.

"Oh I don't think I will, the Lord knows there are too many heroes running about, why don't I just stop this one before she can ruin another criminal's life?" Freeze asked with another laugh.

"Gray Dove don't worry, I promise we'll _play video games_ after this" Robin said softly. Both Mr. Freeze and Batman were confused, but Gray Dove seemed to understand his hidden message and she let herself go limp as Robin threw a birdarang where her head had been moments before. The birdarang hit Freeze's hand allowing Gray Dove to escape and Batman started to fight again.

 **Mr. Freeze's POV**

Freeze glowered at the three heroes before him but they didn't notice. He was tied to the wall and the heroes were waiting for the cops to arrive. He heard Batman speaking and he listened closely.

"- and you don't have to worry, I promise to you that the Justice League will keep you safe" Batman said in a soft tone that baffled Mr. Freeze. _The Batman being nice? This is impossible!_ Mr. Freeze noticed small tears slip out form underneath Gray Dove's mask and he smiled evilly.

"I - I just don't want to feel that _helpless_ " Gray Dove said quietly.

"What the Joker did to you was awful, but I can assure you that it won't happen again" Batman said soothingly. _So Bats does have a soft spot for Gray Dove. What's all this about him promising not to let her get captured again? I'll just have to see about making sure that he can't keep that promise._

 **Batman's POV (a couple days later)**

Batman was pacing around the Meeting Room in the Watchtower and he could feel the worry falling off of his fellow heroes. They wanted to know what was so bad that Batman was nervous.

"I have an . . . informant, in Arkham. I have been told that there is a challenge of sorts circulating the criminal underworld involving Gray Dove. The challenge is to capture Gray Dove and torture her into giving out her secret identity. The prize for winning the challenge is that all the other participants who lost will owe the winner a small favor" Batman said finally. The other members of the Justice League sat in stunned silence.

"Who would have ever started such a gruesome challenge and why on earth would they do it in the first place?" Flash asked disgusted.

"Mr. Freeze started talk of the challenge and he started it after witnessing me comforting Gray Dove. I have no idea why he would have done this" Batman said emotionlessly.

"Why were you comforting Gray Dove?" Wonder Woman asked.

"During the fight with Mr. Freeze, he got her in a hold with a knife shaped icicle pointed at her throat. Robin was the one who used a secret phrase to signal Gray Dove and he got her out of Freeze's hold. After the fight, we were waiting for the cops to come and get Mr. Freeze when I noticed that Gray Dove was unnaturally silent. I told her that she was safe and she started to cry. I told her that the Justice League would protect her and at the time, I was satisfied that she was happier knowing she would have people to back her up and keep her safe. I realize now that Freeze watched our exchange and this prompted his challenge" Batman told them. The heroes were silent once again as they processed the information.

"How many villains are _participating_ in this challenge?" Hawk Woman asked.

"As of ten minutes ago, I know that news of the challenge has extended well beyond Gotham and at least 165 different villains have agreed to the terms of the challenge" Batman said gruffly. The heroes gasped and Batman could tell that they were unnerved by the revelation.

"Does the Team know? . . . Does she?" Superman asked concerned.

"I have not told the Team yet and I do not believe that Gray Dove is aware of the challenge" Batman replied. The heroes looked very uneasy and it appeared that none of them had any idea what to do.

"She is a very kind spirited girl and it would be awful for the Team if she was in fact captured. I do not think that Gray Dove would be able to process this news rationally but the Team will need to be informed" Aquaman said firmly. The other heroes nodded and Batman sighed.

"This is a terrible situation and their is no clear solution. I was thinking that we could have her stay at Mount Justice for a few days under the guise of more assessments, but she is a smart girl and she will figure it out eventually. Although I do agree with Aquaman. She will be terrified at this news and she needs to be protected from it. I will call a meeting at the mountain for the Team, excluding Gray Dove, and I will tell them of our predicament. No one is to speak of this to Gray Dove and I will organize shifts so that we always have a Leaguer with her" Batman said sharply. The other heroes nodded their agreement and Batman walked out of the room at a brisk pace. _I will not let anything happen to Gray Dove, not if I have to physically restrain her in Mount Justice._

 **Robin's POV**

Robin looked around the room and found it a bit odd that every one of the Team members except Lina was in the room waiting for Batman's announcement. He saw Eyes tapping her foot as she waited impatiently and he frowned. _Eyes and Gray Dove are practically inseparable, why would Eyes be here without Gray Dove?_ Batman cleared his throat and Robin snapped to attention.

"We have an issue regarding Gray Dova and I have not informed her of it because I fear that she would react irrationally" Batman said gruffly. Eyes opened her mouth to speak but Batman cut her off with a look.

"We have become aware of a _challenge_ that is sparking the interest of many different villains. The participants announce their agreement with the challenge and the losers will all owe a small favor to the winner. Most villains are backstabbing and cruel, but the Justice League believes that none of the criminals signing up will actually betray their fellows since the challenge has actually become very well known in the criminal underworld. All of you are probably wondering what the challenge entails and I must ask you all to restrain from lashing out since I know the news will be hard to take" Batman told them, pausing to gather nods of agreement from the Team.

"The challenge is very simple, the villain must capture Gray Dove and force her to reveal her secret identity. The only rule is that she must still be alive for the villain to claim that he is the winner." Batman said darkly. The Team was shocked.

"No! This cannot be!" Aqualad shouted over the mind link.

"We will never let any of them take her!" Kid Flash agreed.

"What monster issued this challenge?" Robin asked, fuming.

"Mr. Freeze issued the challenge but I do not believe that he expected it to become so popular" Batman answered. Robin was furious.

"They will not take my sister! I will not allow them to!" Robin yelled over the mind link. His fellow members on the Team gave their agreement and he felt similar emotions coming from them.

"Will you tell Gray Dove?" Eyes asked timidly.

"No, I am going to invite her to Mount Justice under the guise of more assessments but we will keep her here as long as needed" Batman told her. Eyes nodded.

"How are we going to explain Cathleen's absence to Bruce?" asked Eyes.

"Trip to France? Week at Roy's? I'll think of something" Robin said.

"What will the Justice League be doing?" Artemis asked.

"We don't believe that we should retaliate against the criminals participating in the challenge because that will cause most villains to become even more enraptured. We will have at least one Leaguer at the mountain at all times watching Gray Dove, but beyond that, none of us have any idea what to do" Batman admitted. Batman got a call on his communicator and he left the teens standing in silence.

"None of us will do anything out of the ordinary, we need to make sure Gray Dove doesn't catch on to the dilema" Zatanna said aloud. The other Team members nodded and Robin took charge.

"Having a Leaguer here is great, but some of us need to be with her at all times as well" Robin ordered.

"I agree, Robin and I can create an alibi for Cathleen and Kayla while the rest of the Team works out shifts" Artemis said sharply. The other teens nodded and they dispersed until only Eyes, Artemis, and Robin remained.

"So, what can we put together that will convince the greatest detective on earth?" Eyes asked jokingly. The two other heroes gave her serious glances and she sighed and went up to the computer.

"Let's get to work"

{ Hey Readers! How are y'all doing? I just got my English paper back and my teacher said that it was one of the few that weren't SPOGs (Steaming Piles Of Garbage). I really like writing this story but I was kinda feeling down because all the other stories have like tons of reviews and I only have three. If anyone would be kind enough to review, it would really make me smile. I also was wondering if any of my readers were artists, would one of you mind trying to draw a picture of Gray Dove for the cover of my story? I am using a random drawing of a dove that I found on Google and I feel like an original cover might make my story more appealing. I don't really know, but I am an awful artist so any help would be appreciated. I just noticed that this chapter wasn't working, thank you to my two lovely readers who alerted me to this problem. Thanks for reading! ~ Sugar }


	14. Chapter 14

{ Hello my wonderful readers. I am so sorry about the last chapter, I have no idea why it wouldn't work! I now have seven followers and six favorites on my story, isn't that just amazing? So thanks to **DaCatOfAdventure** , **NightmareOnElmStreetFan** , **ZabuzasGirl** , **Dark Yellow Dino** , **nikkielizabeth** , **Hoodedgenius98** , **Nightfury1010** , **NinaMinou** , and **shannzieegan**! Huge thanks to **Silcrow** and **Hoodedgenius98** for alerting me to my earlier problem! Anyways, I am still looking for more reviews so please help me out! Thanks again for reading! ~ Sugar }

Cathleen skipped out of class with a huge grin on her face. _I get to stay a week at Mount Justice with Kayla! This is so awesome!_ Kayla had told her that Batman had wanted to do a few more assessments and that he needed them to stay in the mountain for a week straight. Kayla, Dick, and Artemis had already arranged pans for Kayla and Cathleen to skip school that week on a "volunteering opportunity" and Bruce had agreed easily. Cathleen had guessed that he had something on his mind, but she didn't want to pry and accidentally lose her shot at being able to skip school for a week. Her teachers had already given Cathleen and Kayla their assignments and the girls had decided to do them early so that they could get the homework out of the way. The homework had already been turned in and the teachers had wished the girls luc on their educational experience. Cathleen was so happy that she put on her tinted glasses and skipped all the way to the Safe House as Lina.

She had been surprised to see Fox already there and had given her mentor the news excitedly.

"I'm glad that you will be at the mountain for the week. This week is turning out to be quite . . . hectic" Fox said kindly. Lina gave her a big smile and danced around the room grabbing supplies for her stay at the mountain.

"I won't be gone long and I promise to continue my exercises" Lina told Fox with yet another happy grin. Fox gave her a fake smile that almost reached her eyes.

"I'm glad that you will be able to spend time with your friends, please try to relax, I know you need it" Fox said evenly. Lina nodded and gave Fox a hug.

"I'll miss you! Say hi to Damian for me!" Lina called as she walked out. Fox nodded and Lina left feeling satisfied. _A whole week at the mountain, this is going to be heaven!_

Lina arrived at the mountain with a big smile on her face as she dragged her two duffel bags to her room. Wally came up to help her and she laughed as he told her stories about his evil teacher, Ms. Harris. Ms. Harris apparently had a strong dislike for all her students and it was rumored that no one had ever graduated with a 100% in her class. They finally got to Lina's room and Lina started to set up her stuff for her week-long stay.

Lina's room was not very big, but it was able to hold the medium-sized work desk, two cabinets, one dresser, one chair, a rack for shoes and a tiny bookshelf. One one side of the room, the door, which was on the far left side of the wall, opened to the hallway. While on the other side of the room, there was a sliding door that opened to a small closet and there was a door a little bit further down that opened to a small bathroom. Lina set up all her stuff and looked around as a final check. The color of everything in the room was slightly dulled except for her bookshelf, which held an array of colors with the books being displayed nicely. The bed had a light gray comforter and pillows that were a darker gray. The walls were painted a light blue and the white furniture looked very welcoming. Satisfied that her room was in good condition, Lina walked to the kitchen.

She was happy to find that Robin had read her note and bought several bags of ingredients for cookies and other foods. The refrigerator was actually very big and it easily held the four gallons of milk, two gallons of orange juice, and other necessary things. Lina started a batch of cookies and smiled as Green Lantern Hal Jordan entered the mountain. She saw him give a start of surprise at seeing her and she laughed.

"Hey kiddo, you weren't supposed to be her til later" Hal said in a light tone.

"I got here early so I could set up my stuff and start a batch of cookies" Lina told him.

"Oh good, I've been told that your cookies are pure heaven and I was looking forward to trying them" Hal told her. Lina laughed and gave him a smile.

"I learned the recipe from someone who is very close to me and making these cookies is always very calming for me" Lina said softly. Hal nodded and reached for the cookie that she was holding out to him. He took a bite and Lina giggled as his face lit up in delight.

"They weren't kidding, this is heaven" Hal said with a laugh. Lina grinned at him and handed him a plate of cookies. She had started to set out plates for her friends and she was overjoyed at the thought that they would soon be there. She twirled around the kitchen as she baked and Hal gave her an amused smile. She heard the computer signal Artemis's arrival and she ran to greet her friend.

"Artemis!" Lina exclaimed happily, jumping to hug her friend. Artemis smiled as she realized who her mini attacker was.

"Hey kiddo! Are you as excited as I am for your week at the mountain?" Artemis asked.

"Even more so! I am seriously super duper excited!" Lina told her. Artemis returned the hug and she gave a small wave to Hal.

"Hey, Artemis, the kid made cookies if you want some" Hal said with an easy smile. Artemis's face lit up.

"Cookies? How could I ever not want some of Lina's cookies?" Artemis asked in mock outrage. Lina smiled and skipped into the kitchen to grab Artemis's plate of cookies.

"Gimme those" Artemis said playfully. Lina cocked an eyebrow at her and Artemis schooled her face to look mock serious.

"Please Lina, I'm dying and those cookies are the only cure" Artemis said sorrowfully. Lina laughed and jumped over the kitchen counter.

"Oh now it's on, no one shall keep me from my cookies!" Artemis announced with a fake evil grin. Artemis ran towards Lina but the younger girl took off. Artemis chased Lina all around the mountain and Lina was careful not to let a single cookie fall off the plate in her efforts to escape Artemis.

This was the scene that KAldur walked in on and Lina could see his obvious confusion as he looked to the two sprinting girls and to Hal who was watching the girls with amusement. Kaldur shook his head in disbelief and walked into the kitchen to grab his plate of cookies. Kaldur and Hal talked at the table as Lina and Artemis continued their game. Finally, Artemis cornered the exhausted Lina and Lina surrendered the cookies.

"That shall teach you to try and keep me from my cookies! No one shall ever defeat me in battle in my cookies are in the line!" Artemis announced dramatically. Lina giggled and they walked over to the table to join Kaldur and Hal. Lina flopped down into a chair and raised a hand to her forehead.

"Oh woe is me! I have been defeated and nothing shall raise my spirits evermore!" Lina told them dramatically. The other heroes laughed as she continued her act of utter despair. The computer announced Wally's arrival and they laughed again as she jumped up to give him a hug.

Wally was a speedster but his surprise was evident when he was suddenly tackled from the side. Lina crushed him in a hug.

"Wally! I'm so happy to see you! I have cookies in the kitchen!" she exclaimed happily. Wally laughed and swung her up so that he was carrying her bridal-style as he walked to the kitchen. Lina was completely ecstatic at the thought that she would be staying a full week at the mountain and the sight of each of her friends only brought her more and more joy. _This week is going to be absolutely positively awesome!_

 **Robin's POV**

Robin entered the mountain feeling slightly nervous. _Why are all these villains taking such an interest in MY sister? What caused this challenge to become so popular?_ Robin snapped out of his thoughts when he heard Lina laughing in the kitchen. He walked over to the table and was pleased to see her play fighting with Connor as she passed out cookies to the other members of the Team at the table, and Hal of course. Robin could tell that Lina was thrilled at the idea of spending a full week with her friends and he felt a pang of guilt when he thought of what her reaction would be once she knew the real reason behind her stay at the mountain. Lina spotted Robin and he saw her face light up as she ran over to give him a hug.

"Robin! I am so happy to see you! This thing about me staying at the cave for a full week totally has me feeling the aster!" Lina joked. Robin returned her hug and gave her a smile. Lina was completely oblivious, but Robin could see the glances that his teammates kept giving Lina, as if they had to reassure themselves that she was okay.

"OMG! I know what we can do!" Lina announced loudly, startling the Team.

"And what is that?" Hal asked with an amused grin.

"Now that we are all here, we can play tag!" Lina told them excitedly.

"Okay, I'll start. Tag, you're it" Zatanna said hitting M'gann and running away. Robin dashed off and when he looked behind him, he could see the other heroes scattering as well. Robin hid himself in the rafters and watched his friends run around beneath him. At one point, Artemis spotted him and chased him until she managed to tag him. They both sat down gasping for air before Robin asked his question.

"Hey, has everyone been tagged yet?" he asked curious.

"I think so, I don't know about Lina though" Artemis admitted. Robin laughed and they walked back into the main room. Robin spotted Connor and M'gann so he walked over to them.

"Do either of you know if Lina has been tagged yet?" Robin asked.

"Not that I know of" Connor said easily. M'gann nodded her agreement and Robin walked over to Hal and Wally.

"You guys know if Lina has been tagged yet?" Robin asked them. Both of them shook their heads. Robin furrowed his brow as he walked over to Raquel, Anna, and Zatanna.

"Hey, has Lina been it yet?" Robin questioned them. They both told him no and he walked to the center of the room. He looked around and frowned when he realized that she wasn't there.

"Has anyone seen Lina?" Robin asked loudly. They all stopped their conversations and spun to look around the room.

"I haven't seen her since we started the game" Raquel spoke up. The other heroes voiced their agreement and Robin's frown deepened. They had been playing the game for at least two hours and that made him worry. He started typing on the holoscreen from his wristwatch and sighed in relief when he picked up Lina's signal. He looked at her location and laughed when he saw that she was in the air vents. He followed the signal on his wristwatch and smiled when he opened the vent to find her sleeping curled up in the vent. He carefully took her out and carried her to her room. The rest of the Team was watching with smiles evident on their faces and he sent them a glare, warning them to be quiet so Lina wouldn't wake up. Robin set Lina down on her bed and walked out slowly. _No one could ask for a better little sister, no villain is going to take her from me._

 **Hal Jordan's POV**

Hal could tell why the League had been in such outrage at the thought of the new villains' _challenge_. Lina was a sweet kid and she seemed way too young and pure to be the object of some sick _game_. Her cookies were heaven and Hal was satisfied knowing that any villain trying to take Lina would have to go through the whole Justice League to get to the young girl. Hal nodded at Aquaman, who was to be his replacement in watching the Team, and walked over to the zeta tubes. Once, he had reached the Watchtower, he headed over to speak to Batman.

"I'm starting to see the reason behind the extreme reaction that the rest of the League had" Hal said easily.

"She really is a sweet kid, she's even gotten to me. I'm sure you're here to make your vow that you won't let anything happen to her" Batman said gruffly. Hal was very surprised, _how does Batman know that?_

"How did you know?" Hal asked.

"Because that's what every other hero that has ever met her has already done" Batman admitted. Hal was only slightly surprised at this. _She really is a great kid, if she was able to win over the Batman, it's no wonder all the other heroes she's met love her_.

 **Damian's POV**

"I'm sure you have heard of the new _challenge_ " Talia growled.

"How could I not? It is all that anyone talks about!" Damian snapped. Talia looked slightly pleased at her son's outburst, but she covered it before Damian could read anything out of it.

"I saw her earlier and she told me that she was going to be spending the week with her Team so the older heroes could assess her. She seemed quite thrilled so I assume that she has no idea of what is going on" Talia admitted. Damian let out a sigh of relief. _If Lina is being protected by the Justice League, at least she will be safe until she figures out the reason for her "assessment." After she figures it out, there is no telling what she will do. She might storm out and go right into the enemies' hands or she might decide to play it safe and stay hidden._

"What are we going to do?" Damian inquired. Talia exhaled.

"At this time, nothing. There is always the chance that the Justice League will take care of it and I have been forbidden from doing anything until the week is over. If the challenge continues after that, your grandfather has given me permission to do as I please" Talia said confidently. Damian grinned. He knew his mother liked Lina and if she was given free reign, there wouldn't be much of a threat at all.

{ Hey Readers! I'm going to be at a friend's house for a while so I won't be able to update for at least two days. Sorry this chapter was a bit short. Thank you for reading and please review ~ Sugar }


	15. Chapter 15

{ Hey Readers! Sorry it's been so long, did you guys enjoy the previous chapter? Anyways, I think this one will be shorter so please forgive me for the wait. As always, thanks for reading ~ Sugar }

Lina woke up and smiled as she realized where she was. She skipped out to the kitchen and turned on Pandora on her phone. She hummed along to the music as she made breakfast and she smiled as she danced around the kitchen. She finished setting out breakfast and checked the time. She had woken up around 4:00, and it was now 5:30. She debated what to do before settling on working on her acrobatics. She skipped into the Training Room and put in some headphones.

She slipped her phone into her pocket and jumped onto the first bar. As her music started to play, she swung around the bar several times to gain momentum. Once she was going fast enough, she did a triple flip up to the next bar.

She continued her acrobatics until she noticed Artemis watching her. She smiled at the older girl and moved into a sitting position on the highest bar.

"Since it seems that we're the only ones up, do you want to learn to dance on the bars?" Lina queried. Artemis agreed eagerly and walked over to the bars.

"I used to do some gymnastics when I was younger but the dancing on the bars thing seems way above my capabilities" Artemis confessed. Lina laughed.

"I'll do most of the work, you just have to try and keep your feet on the bars. As you get more of a feel for it, you can start to dance without me leading you" Lina offered.

"So basically you are going to let me dance and keep me from falling?" Artemis wondered.

"Yep" Lina said, popping the 'p'. Artemis jumped up onto the first bar and shakily stood up. Lina was with her in an instant giving her support. Lina pulled out her phone and took out the headphones.

"I usually listen to Pandora, what station do you want?" Lina asked.

"Hmm, how about Imagine Dragons?" Artemis supplied. Lina nodded and put her phone in her pocket as the music started to play. Artemis started out very hesitantly but she opened up when Lina started singing along. They danced and Lina was careful to keep her friend upright the whole time as they moved across the bars.

After a while, they both stopped due to exhaustion and went to get breakfast. They were still the only ones up and Artemis started to tell Lina stories about the Team before Lina was added. The first person to join them was Connor.

Connor walked into the kitchen and his face lit up when he spotted the food. Artemis and Lina cracked up when they saw this. He ate his breakfast and then joined them in swapping stories. A few minutes after that, Wally and Zatanna walked in. They both praised Lina to high heaven for her wonderful food and they all laughed as they continued to talk. M'gann and Raquel walked in later and they thoroughly expressed how grateful they were for Lina to be apart of the Team. Anna and Robin entered the kitchen a short time later. Artemis was in the middle of telling how her teacher for English had actually given them a six page essay to work on when Kaldur and Aquaman walked in. They both looked surprised to be the last ones up and the other heroes laughed at their expressions.

"Oh Kaldur, did you think that you would be the first ones up at 8:00?" Raquel snickered. Kaldur hung his head in mock shame and the other teens laughed again.

"We're heroes, we need to be ready for anything, that means you can't sleep through the whole morning" Lina explained. Aquaman gave her a small nod of agreement and went over to grab a muffin.

"Who made all this food?" Aquaman asked. The teens laughed and Lina turned red.

"Lina made all of it, the rest of us are terrible cooks and all I can make is cookies" M'gann said happily. Aquaman looked a bit impressed and he gave Lina another nod.

"Who wants to go train?" Robin asked. Several of the heroes, including Lina, gave their agreement and got up to go to the Training Room.

Once they got there, Robin announced that they were going to try a new fighting style that Batman had been teaching him. He showed them a few moves and walked around to help them perfect their form. Lina picked up the new style easily and offered to spar with Robin. He agreed and they walked into the ring. They took up their stances and Lina beckoned Robin to come at her. He smirked at her.

"I've been practicing this fighting style for months now, sorry if you get beat too badly" Robin said with a proud grin.

"Well let's see about that" Lina said with a grin to meet her brother's. Robin came at her and she ducked and spun. She tried out several of the new moves and he countered easily. Once Lina had gotten the hang of it, she started to put everything into it and she started to beat him. Robin frowned at her and did a flip to avoid one of her swings. Lina kept advancing until he slowed long enough for her to swing him around and throw him to the floor. The flashing letters came up announcing his defeat and he picked himself back up.

"Nice job, I must be getting rusty" Robin said holding his hand out to her.

"No problem, thanks for sparring with me" she said gripping his hand in hers. She smiled at him but she was shocked when he tightened his grip and pulled her towards him. He flipped her up and over his shoulder so that he was holding her like a sack of potatoes.

"Not fair! Lemme down!" Lina shrieked as he laughed. The other heroes laughed as well and she started to swing her fists lightly at Robin's back.

"This is not nice at all! Let me go! Artemis help, I'm being attacked!" Lina yelled. Artemis smirked and got up to walk towards her friend.

"Did you say you wanted me to hand you to Connor?" Robin asked.

"No! Lemme go!" Lina yelled. She let out a small screech as she was tossed through the air. Connor caught her easily and he continued to laugh as Artemis tried to run over to get Lina.

"We playing monkey in the middle?" Wally asked. Robin laughed and agreed before Connor tossed Lina to Wally. At this point the girls had started to feel bad for Lina and they started to go after the boys trying to make them let go of her. Connor tossed Lina high up near the rafters and she surprised them by grabbing on and flipping herself up to a sitting position.

"Come down Lee" Robin said laughing.

"No! You have betrayed my trust and I shall never trust you again!" Lina shouted in mock outrage. The other heroes laughed but Zatanna looked worried.

"Lina would you please come down? You're scaring me" Zatanna said in a scared tone.

"Don't worry Z, she's a bird, she probably feels more comfortable up high in the air" Raquel said with a smile.

"You're right, I do enjoy flying" Lina agreed and with that she leaned back and let go of the rafters. Zatanna and M'gann gasped but Wally, Robin, Connor, and Artemis watched with amused smiles as Lina did several flips and flung her arms out to catch the tallest gymnastics bar. She did a swing around that and did another two flips to the floor. She landed nicely and gave them all a dramatic bow. The teens clapped lightly and she gave them an adoring smile.

"Oh thank you, thank you. It was hard to get here, but I want to thank my amazing friends. Without them I couldn't have ever gotten here!" Lina said in a fake exhausted tone. They all laughed and went to join the two Atlanteans in the kitchen. Kaldur was finishing a conversation with Aquaman and Lina was very confused.

"-fter the week is over?" Kaldur asked

"I don't know, but Batman has suggested that we restrain her until we get this under control" Aquaman replied.

"Hey! Guys! We're back!" Wally yelled loudly.

"Nice to see that you still have your voice, Wally, but we are still inside" Artemis said sarcastically. Robin smirked and Kaldur looked embarrassed by the fact that they had walked in on his conversation with his king. Lina changed the subject to avoid any mishaps.

"Aquaman, you said you would teach me to surf, can we do that now?" Lina asked.

"Sure" Aquaman agreed. Robin looked as though he was going to protest but Zatanna put a hand on his shoulder.

"That's a great idea, in fact, I think _all_ of us should do that" Zatanna suggested. Lina gave them all a smile and ran to her room to put on a swimsuit. { I'm going to pretend that they are at a low elevation and the weather is a lot warmer }

Lina walked out onto the beach and did a twirl, showing off her all-gray bikini. Wally gave a wolf whistle and she giggled. Her top had a frilly cover that was attached at the the top. The bottom had a skirt that you could slip on as a cover and it had the same frilly pattern as the top. Artemis was wearing a green bikini that had black designs, Zatanna was wearing a light blue bikini that had pink swirls going across it, Raquel was wearing a bikini that had black and white stripes, Anna wore a purple bikini with white lines and dots, and M'gann was wearing a pink bikini with green designs on it. The boys al had swim shorts of varying colors; Robin and Connor wore black, Kaldur wore dark navy, and Wally wore red. Lina smiled and raced to the water where Aquaman was laying out several surfboards. He handed one to her and explained the basics.

Lina ran to the water and started to swim out. She spotted a wave and started to swim back towards shore. The wave came up behind her and she stood up quickly. She fell over when the water splashed her feet and she came up laughing. She swam back out and waited for the next wave. She didn't have to wait long.

This time when she stood up, she didn't let the shock of the cold water push her off balance. She turned the board parallel to the shore and started to surf. Her friends on the shore cheered and she decided to show off by doing a flip. She landed on the board awkwardly but gained her balance easily from all those times dancing on the bars. She rode the wave most of the way back to shore before she tried another flip. She landed this one nicely and tried to do it again. This time the board went out from under her and she fell into the wave. She grabbed onto her board and clung to it until she reached shore.

She walked up to her friends coughing up saltwater and Artemis gave her a sympathetic smile.

"I got your flips on video!" Wally told her proudly.

"Let me see!" Lina exclaimed. Wally pushed the play button and Lina saw herself do two amazing flips on the board before losing her footing and starting to go down. The video ended with her halfway into the wave looking at the camera with a surprised expression. Robin laughed at the video's ending and told Lina that Agent A had packed lunch.

"Oh yes! I L.O.V.E Agent A's sandwiches!" Lina said happily. Robin laughed and led her over to the rest of the heroes.

Lina spent the rest of the day playing on the beach with her friends and she could happily admit that it was one of the best days ever.

{ That was day one and Lina suspects nothing. Will she figure it out before the week is over? Will the Justice League stop the challenge before the week is up? Will Talia/Fox have to take action? Please keep reading and you'll find out. Also, what's your favorite singer/band? I don't really have a favorite but Imagine Dragons is pretty cool, along with One Republic and Taylor Swift. Thanks for reading ~ Sugar }


	16. Chapter 16

{ Hello Readers! Sorry for the wait! Here's the chapter you've all been waiting for ~ Sugar }

 _She was standing in a dark room when she started to hear voices. They said things like "we're coming for you" and "you can't escape us." These voices terrified her and they kept getting louder until she woke up._

Lina woke up in a cold sweat. She had nightmares every night about what happened to her parents and what happened with the Joker, but this one felt different. She felt like something was actually wrong and she felt like her friends were keeping something from her. She shook her head to clear her thoughts and climbed out of her bed. She started to walk to the kitchen when she heard voices. She climbed up to the ceiling and crawled over to where the speakers were. It was Batman and Wonder Woman.

"I just feel like there is more we could be doing" Wonder Woman said sadly. Lina crept closer so that she could hear them better.

"I know, but Gray Dove is in serious danger and I don't want her to freak out" Batman said with a dejected sigh. Lina was very curious, _why are they talking about me? What don't I know?_

"The challenge is going to reach the media soon! It's all any villain can talk about and I really just don't want to see Lina get hurt" Wonder Woman ranted.

"I know, but give it til the week ends. We promised her a week of fun with her friends and I don't want to ruin her week by telling her this now" Batman confessed. Wonder Woman gave an annoyed huff.

"Gray Dove deserves to know that criminals are after her! I think she would prefer to be safe rather than clueless!" Wonder Woman fumed. Lina was in shock. _Criminals are after me? Why? And why would Batman not want to tell me?_

"Diana, give her the week. I promise we will tell her if we still haven't sorted it out by then. The Team already knows and I have no doubt that they are going to keep her safe. The only better deal would be her temporarily giving up being Gray Dove and going about her civilian life" Batman said softly. Wonder Woman nodded.

"You know that she would never agree to giving up Gray Dove, even if it was temporary. And her civilian life is none of our concern. The Team trusts her and she is too innocent to be a double agent. You need to let go of the fact that she has escaped the notice of the greatest detective on earth" Wonder Woman said with a grin.

"I know. I have to get back to Gotham, but please give her at least a week of fun before we tell her" Batman demanded. Wonder Woman gave him a small nod and the two heroes parted, Wonder Woman heading to the kitchen while Batman strode towards the zeta tubes. _What were they talking about? I deserve to know what is going on! Why wouldn't Anna tell me? If this is such a big deal, it shouldn't be too hard to find out._

Lina pulled up her holoscreen on her wristwatch, a gift from Robin, and started to hack into the Justice League's files. She found one labeled **The Criminal Challenge** and pulled it up. She read through the information and started to feel sick. _This is awful! I'm putting my friends in danger just by being here! I get why they wouldn't tell me, but I'm still mad that my friends kept this from me._ Lina got down out of the rafters and headed to her room. After a minute of pacing, she decided that she needed a walk to clear her head. She sat down and wrote a note to her friends.

 _Dear Robin, Artemis, Zatanna, Raquel, Anna, Wally, Connor, M'gann, and Kaldur. I found out about the challenge and I need to take a walk to clear my head. I'm kind of hurt that none of you told me, but I understand your reasons. Anna, I'm going back to our Safe House in civilian clothes. Please leave me alone, I just need some time to think. I might not be back til tomorrow if I stay the night at the Safe House. I promise I'll be safe - Lina_

Once Lina was satisfied with the note, she folded it and left it on her bed. She walked out to the zeta tubes and was relieved that no one was there to stop her. She adjusted her sunglasses and stepped up to the zeta to plug in her coordinates. She looked around once more before stepping back and letting the zeta beam transport her to Carricksvile.

She arrived in Carricksvile and started to walk down the sidewalk. It was still really early in the morning and the sun hadn't even come up yet. She entered the Safe House and sat down on the couch. _Why does this have to happen to me?_ She started going over her thoughts before she fell asleep. Happily aware that the cameras in the room had shut off upon her arrival.

 **Robin's POV**

Robin woke up early and was planning to surprise Gray Dove when he found her room empty. He noticed the note on her bed and read it several times before dashing out. He ran to Anna's room and started to knock on the door really loudly. Anna was out in a second and she looked really annoyed.

"Read it!" Robin yelled throwing the note at her. Anna grabbed the note and read it. Her face turned pale as her eyes swept across the page.

"When did you find this? Is she okay? Oh of course she's not okay, she's all alone out there!" Anna stammered.

Apparently they had been a little too loud and the other teen heroes started to come out of their rooms.

"What's all the fuss about?" Artemis asked. Robin didn't say anything, only tossed her the note. Artemis gasped.

"How did she find out? What are we going to do?" Artemis asked in a scared voice. Wally came up behind her and took the note from her shaking hands. He read it quickly and raced off to show the others.

"Where is your Safe House?" Robin asked Anna. Anna looked miserable.

"She has alarms set up around it and it would lock up as soon as you got close to it. She never told me the password to unlock it, only her and Fox know that" Anna sobbed.

"I can check the cameras around the house and even in it, but if we come looking for her, she's just going to run off" Anna said sadly. Robin debated for a minute before telling her to check the cameras. At least if they couldn't get to her, they could assure that she was safe.

Wonder Woman walked into the hall and looked confused at the depressed looking teens.

"What has happened?" Wonder Woman asked.

"It's Lina, she found out about the challenge and she ran off" Wally answered quickly. Wonder Woman looked grave and she told them all to follow her to the Computer Area. They hurried after her and she made a call to Batman.

"What is it?" Batman answered.

"Lina has found out about the challenge and she's run off" Raquel told him. Batman grimaced.

"Do you know where she is?" Batman asked.

"She's at our safe house and she left a note promising to return by tomorrow" Anna replied. Batman let out a frustrated sigh.

"Gray Dove is very capable of handling herself and I don't want any of you going after her" Batman ordered. The teens gasped.

"But Batman, she's in danger!" Zatanna told him.

"I know this, but the villains only want Gray Dove. If she went out in her civilian clothes, she should be fine" Batman told them before ending the call. The teens stood there in shock.

"What do we do for now?" Robin asked Wonder Woman.

"Just stay n the mountain, Lina will return once she has calmed down. You forget that Lina has been a hero on her own for quite some time. She knows how to take care of herself" Wonder Woman told them. Robin sighed. _I know that she's been a hero for almost three years, but she's my little sister. I can't just not worry._

"Were you able to get the cameras?" Robin asked Anna.

"Almost got them, oh" Anna said as a message popped up on her screen.

" _Don't worry about me! I am fine! I swear I will go completely off the grid if you try to come after me._ " The message was in black lettering over a drawing of a dove. Robin sighed. If Lina didn't want to be found, no one could track her. He only hoped that she would be back safe and sound early tomorrow.

 **Batman's POV**

Batman started in surprise as a message appeared on the BatComputer. He opened it warily but was surprised to find that it was from Gray Dove.

" _Dear Batman, this file contains a link to a tracker that I keep with me at all times. If I don't turn it off every week, the tracker will start transmitting my signal. I don't believe that will happen, but it's just a back up plan. Please don't turn on the tracker from your end unless it is a dire emergency. Thanks - Gray Dove_ " The message disappeared after a second but Batman saw a file appear on his computer labeled **Gray Dove Backup Plan**. He smiled at the girl's thoughtfulness. This plan was ingenious and he was not expecting something so brilliant to come from a young girl like Gray Dove. This was a great idea and he might just use something like it for Robin.

 **Damian's POV**

Damian was exhausted after training and his mother said that he could have the weekend off. He hadn't thought of what to do, but he considered going back to stay at Lina's Safe House. At least there he could get some peace and quiet. He told his mother of his plans and she gave him a nod.

He walked to the Safe House and plugged in the codes. Lina had given them to him and told him that the Safe House was open if he ever needed a place to stay. He smiled at the thought and was completely surprised when he opened the door to find Lina laying on the couch. Her head snapped up when she heard the door clicked and the surprise was evident on her face.

"Oh, Damian, sorry. Thought you were someone else" She apologized.

"Lina, what are you doing here?" he hissed. She gave him a disappointed look.

"You, your mother, and I are the only people who know the security codes and the only other person who knows about this place is my best friend and I know she won't come looking for me at least for two days" Lina replied. He frowned at her.

"That's not what I meant" Damian told her.

"I know, you want me to go into hiding because some criminals are after me. I get it, but this place IS hidden and I don't want to go back to the Justice League, so you can either drop the subject or leave" she said stiffly. Damian sighed.

"I'll drop it, but you should go back tomorrow or at least the day after" he said defeated. She nodded.

"That's my plan" Lina agreed. Damian went over and sat on the couch next to her.

"So what's new?" Damian asked.

"Not much, i learned some new fighting moves though" Lina answered.

"Can you teach me? I was also hoping you could help me with my flips sometime" Damian told her. She agreed happily and they walked over to the training mats. She started to show him the new moves she had learned and she was a surprisingly good teacher. He learned the moves quickly and was a master by the end of the hour. Then she helped him with his flips. They did stretches to prepare their muscles and she helped him to perfect his sequence flips. By the end of the next hour, Damian had perfected his single frontflip, his single backflip, and his double frontflip. She called for a break and suggested they go out for pizza. He agreed excitedly and they walked out of the Safe House.

They went to a place called Pie Five and she presented him with their many wonderful desserts. Damian talked and laughed with Lina until they had finished their meal and then they headed back. They arrived at the Safe House and she told him that she was going to call her friend to tell her that she was ok. Damian nodded and went to set up the couches so that they could sleep. He was finished by the time she ended her call and they stayed up watching movies. Lina turned off the TV around eleven and Damian fell asleep instantly.

 **Lina's call (earlier)**

" _Hey" -Linna_

" _OMG Lina, are you ok?" -Anna_

" _I'm fine Anna. I was just calling to tell you that I might stay later than tomorrow" -Lina_

" _Oh Lina, please come back, the Team is all worried sick. We're sorry that we kept this from you, please come back soon" -Anna_

" _It's not that, Anna. I just need some time to think about this. The Safe House is perfectly safe and I'll call you in the morning, at lunch, and tomorrow evening. I just need some space" -Lina_

" _I understand, just please be careful. Would you want to talk to Rob?" -Anna_

" _Sure and I'll promise to be safe" -Lina_

" _Hey Lee" -Robin_

" _Hey Rob. Sorry if I scared you guys" -Lina_

" _We were really worried, but I'm glad you are okay and safe" -Robin_

" _Yep, I'm sure that Anna told you about my plans so I hope you aren't mad" -Lina_

" _She told me, I'm not mad. Just stay safe okay?" -Robin_

" _I promise" -Lina_

 **End of call**

 **Damian's POV**

Damian woke up to the smell of breakfast foods. He got up and went over to the counter to see Lina already gave him a small wave and he sat down next to her.

"Good morning" Lina greeted him cheerily.

"Good morning to you as well" Damian replied. She gave him a smile and motioned to the bags of food. He took this as an indication to go ahead and eat. He filled up his plate and started to chat with her. Lina told him about her school, without revealing anything that could give away her identity, and he was fascinated to hear about her teachers and classmates. At one point she asked him about the job he had performed a couple of weeks ago and he told her that it was a test and there had been no casualties. She seemed pleased to hear the last part and switched the topic to fighting styles. Damian eventually went back to their earlier topic.

"Why do you care if I kill someone or if someone is killed when I'm on a job?" Damian asked.

"Because everyone deserves the right to live, no matter how insane or evil they are. I especially care if you kill someone because you are still you. Taking a life changes people and I don't want you to change" Lina answered honestly. Damian was happy that she liked him as he was now but why didn't she understand that some people _deserve_ to die? It was what he had always been taught. He shook his head and resolved to ask his mother the next time he saw her. Lina told him about the Team and how wonderful it was.

"Would you ever want to be a hero?" Lina asked suddenly. Damian was surprised and it took him a second to answer.

"I am being trained as an assassin, I don't think they would allow me to do that" Damian replied.

But if you had the chance to save innocents from harm and fight evil, would you do it if it meant that you weren't allowed to kill?" Lina questioned.

"I don't know. My mother has told me countless times of how I will be the future of the League of Assassins and I never knew my dad" damian told her. Lina seemed a bit disappointed in his answer, but she switched the topic and he soon forgot about it.

After breakfast, they did some more work on Damian's flips. Lina was a very patient teacher and Damian felt very at ease with her. They kept working until Damian asked her how she usually trained.

"I usually train with your mom and then when she's gone, I dance on the bars" Lina said, blushing as she spoke the last part.

"Dance on the bas?" Damian inquired.

"It's a silly thing I do to work on my balance" Lina told him, her face going even more red.

"Will you show me?" Damian asked nicely. Lina shrugged and pulled out her phone. She started some music and jumped to grab the gymnastic bars. Damian watched in awe a she started to dance across the bars, her feet barely touching the smooth surfaces before she was flipping again. She stopped after a minute and asked if he wanted to join her. He hesitated and Lina assured him that she would never let him fall. He pulled himself up cautiously and was pleased when he only wobbled slightly as he stood. He started to tip and his face started to fall back into a frown.

Before he could blink, Lina was standing next to him, offering support. He hadn't even seen her move, it was if she had just materialized next to him.

"Hold on to me as you get your balance and I'll keep you upright as we go" Lina assured him. Damian gave her a quick nod.

"I usually have exceptional balance, how can you move so fluidly across the bars?" Damian inquired. Lina giggled. Her laugh sounded like tiny bells and it reminded him of fairies.

"I have been practicing since I was six" Lina told him. Damian shot her a look of disbelief. She giggled again as he clutched her hands to keep from falling.

"Will you be okay with me up here with you?" Damian asked.

"Of course! I love dancing with other people! It helps to keep my muscles strong when I keep my friends from falling" Lina insisted. Damian gave a sigh of annoyance and let her hold him up. She told him that he should dance and that she would keep him from falling. The next song started up and he felt really awkward as he tried to dance along. Lina smothered her laughter and the bemused expression on her face helped him to loosen up. He got lost in the moment and barely paid attention to his feet as she guided him over the bars. He barely noticed that the songs had changed and he just kept gliding through the air. It was exhilarating and it felt like he was flying. He hadn't noticed so much time had passed until Lina asked him if he wanted to get dinner. He gave his agreement and she helped him safely to the floor.

He noticed that she was looking tired and offered that they could order in, but she waved him off saying that they needed a bit of fresh air. They walked to their usual pizza place and the owner smiled upon seeing them.

"It is good to see my favorite customer back again! And you have brought your friend!" Dellan exclaimed. Lina smiled and Damian saw her start chatting with the owner easily. All the waiters and waitresses seemed to know Lina and they all stopped by to say hi. Damian enjoyed the pizza and, as always, he loved talking with Lina.

Near the end of their meal, she yawned and suggested that they head back. He nodded and she twirled as they walked back.

"Why do you do that?" Damian asked.

"Twirl and dance?" Damian nodded. "Because you can't really frown when your spinning and dancing. I like to look happy because it makes those around me happy" Lina replied. Damian nodded absently and kept walking. They were still talking when someone grabbed Lina from behind.

"Let me go!" she exclaimed. Damian could tell she was annoyed and he moved to help her but he was stopped by two other men.

"Lina, this is the second time this has happened. Is there just something about you that makes people want to mug you?" Damian asked. Lina gave him an annoyed snort and tried to twist out of her captor's arms.

"Ah Ah Ah, little miss, my employer has me searching for a blonde superheroine. You look as though you would fit the type of Gray Dove, no?" Lina's captor asked sarcastically. He was not very large, but he was very strong and Damian could see Lina struggling with no effect.

"I'm not a hero!" Lina told him.

"But you'll make great bait for the hero we want" Lina's captor told her menacingly.

"Leave her alone!" Damian shouted. Lina's captor smirked at him and started to choke Lina.

"We only need one. Knock him out and leave him" Lina's captor told his goons.

"Tell my Team and my brother, they need to know" Lina choked out before going limp. Damian realized that she had left her phone at the Safe House and he made a mental note to call her friends. One of the goons whacked him from behind and everything went dark.

{Hey readers! I'm going to be out of town with my family so I won't be able to post until next weekend. Please review. Thanks for reading ~ Sugar}


	17. Chapter 17

{Hey readers, sorry for the wait! Here's the chapter ~ Sugar }

 **Damian's POV**

Damian awoke in the alley and the sun had already gone down. He jumped to his feet and ran all the way back to the Safe House. He felt awful, Lina's captors hadn't even done anything to him but he had let them take her. Lina had told him all about her friend Anna and how he was to call her if there was ever an emergency, but he knew nothing about her 'brother.' He didn't even know she had a brother.

Damian grabbed the phone and hesitated, _how am I supposed to tell them that Lina was captured as a civilian and not as Gray Dove? How was he supposed to explain how he even knew Gray Dove?_ He took a couple deep breaths and clicked on Anna's caller ID. The phone wrang a couple of times before the girl picked up.

"Hey Lina. What's up?" Anna asked.

"Look, I'm a friend of Lina's and she said I needed to tell her brother something so could you put him on the phone?" Damian asked hesitantly.

"He's not here right now. Tell me whatever Lina wanted you to tell him and tell me why you have her phone" anna snapped.

"Ok, I'm assuming you know that she's a hero?" Damian questioned.

"Yes, who are you again?" Anna asked. He sighed.

"My name's Damian, Lina and I were walking around Carricksvile when some guys grabbed her and pulled her into an alley. They said she was bait for a hero they were trying to catch and I assume they meant Gray Dove. Lina and I tried to fight them off but they were too strong. She told me to call her Team and her brother before they knocked me out. When I came to, they were already gone. Please, Lina is one of my best friends, is there anything I can do to help her?" Damian pleaded. He could hear Anna bickering with someone in the background and he held his breath.

"I'll call and tell you if we need you for something" Anna told him sounding stressed.

"Who is we? Also, who is her brother? I wasn't aware she had siblings until she asked me to call him" Damian told her. He heard the phone being handed to someone else and he let out a quick sigh of frustration.

"Damian, this is Red Arrow. I assume that she was referring to me because I have referred to her as my little sister for the past four years. I need to converse with my fellow heroes on how to handle this matter. I will call you using this number if we have need of your help though I assume we won't" Red Arrow told him. Damian agreed and he heard the phone turn off. _Lina, I'm so sorry. I should have been there and I should never have let them take you. What am I going to do?_

 **Lina's POV**

Lina awoke and she kept her eyes shut as she took in her situation. She was sitting in a cold chair and her hands were tied behind her back. The last thing she remembered was telling Damian to call her brother and her Team. She really hoped they had listened to him. She tested her bindings and smothered a giggle. They had tied her hands lose enough that she would have been able to escape easily. The only problem was that she couldn't escape without tipping off her captors that she was Gray Dove. She frowned and stiffened as she heard a deep laugh.

"I know you are awake, little miss" her captor told her. She opened her eyes and looked around quickly. There was four men standing in front of her near a large screen. Above the screen was a camera and below the screen was a simple keyboard. She realized that she didn't have her sunglasses on and she hid her panic.

"Cathleen Grayson, I am Rezal, employee of Sportsmaster. The refined gentlemen beside me are John, Jake, and Jason. Now we don't want to hurt you, badly. So here is how this is going to work. I am going to make demands for the superhero Gray Dove and you are going to be our hostage" Rezal said calmly. Cathleen tensed at the mention of her superhero identity and Rezal noticed.

"You've heard of her I presume?" Rezal inquired.

"Yes, Gray Dove is in hiding. Whoever you are planning to blackmail won't be able to pay up because they won't know where she is" Cathleen said making her voice sound slightly scared.

"How would you know that?" Rezal asked.

"Because I met Gray Dove hours before you captured me" she answered. Rezal tilted his head and narrowed his eyes at her.

"Why would Gray Dove tell you her plans? Also, why were you in Carricksvile?" Rezal interrogated. Cathleen stayed silent and Rezal got up from his position leaning against the wall. Cathleen Grayson wasn't supposed to be a fearless hero and she needed to play her cards right. He started to walk towards her and she broke down in fake tears.

"Gray Dove and I met a couple of years ago ad she never told me her name but when we were hanging out she looked terrified and I asked her what was wrong and she said that some criminals were after her and I told her to hide and and she agreed and she told me that she was going to stay hidden for at least another week and I promised I would relay any messages her friends wanted to send her. But she, she isn't going to come for me because she cut off almost all communications except when their directly from me and she isn't going to save me" Cathleen bawled. The three Js looked disgusted at Cathleen's crying and Rezal looked very uncomfortable.

"I need to go inform our employer, you three watch her. She is still Bruce Wayne's ward and we can get some profit off her even if we don't get Gray Dove" Rezal told his goons as he opened the door and walked out. Cathleen continued to fake cry until Rezal walked back in with Sportsmaster, then she made a show of holding back tears.

"Let's still try the Justice League, they probably put a tracker in Gray Dove and I won't give up just yet" Sportsmaster told Rezal. Rezal nodded and started to type on the keyboard. The computer codes appeared on the large screen and Cathleen watched it with "terrified" eyes as Rezal made a call to the Justice League, taking care to mask their location. A few seconds later the call was accepted and Batman's face appeared on the screen. He was scowling at it and Wonder Woman, Flash, Aquaman, and Green Arrow watched anxiously from behind him.

"Ahh Batman, I was wondering if we could do a trade?" Sportsmaster leered. Cathleen saw Batman's scowl deepen and she noticed that the other Leaguers didn't look very happy either.

"Sportsmaster, what do you want?" Batman questioned, the tone of his voice giving Cathleen the chills.

"Oh that's simple. I want Gray Dove delivered to me, and in return, I'll give you your daughter back unharmed" Sportsmaster answered. Cathleen made her face screw up in confusion since she wasn't supposed to know who Batman was. Batman's scowl deepened even further, if possible, and he glared at Sportsmaster.

'I can't do that" Batman growled through clenched teeth.

"But Brucie, I have your baby girl. You wouldn't want me to _hurt_ her would you?" Sportsmaster asked sarcastically. Cathleen gasped and widened her eyes, this time her terror was real. _If they hurt me, it will destroy Bruce and he may ban Dick from ever being Robin ever again_. Batman's glare got even deeper and Sportsmaster smirked.

"I want Gray Dove restrained and unarmed at Gotham Harbor tomorrow at 9:00 pm, if she isn't there . . . Well then I might not be too gentle with your little sweetheart" Sportsmaster said menacingly. Cathleen let out a small whimper and Rezal cut off the call.

"Rezal, make our guest comfortable and make sure she has at least one guard at all times. If she escapes, you will pay with your life" Sportsmaster said offhandedly.

"Wha-what did you mean when you called me Batman's daughter and why did you call him Brucie?" Cathleen asked, pretending to be super scared and confused.

"Oh that's because the Batman is actually Bruce Wayne and your brother is Robin. I have to say I'm not surprised that they kept you out of the family business" Sportsmaster answered with a smirk. He turned and left the room as Cathleen sat in shock. She hadn't _actually_ expected that he would tell her that and it worked to her advantage as she didn't need to force out the emotion. One of the goons, either Jake or Jason, walked around so that he was behind Cathleen and he forced her to stand.

She faked another whimper and he loosened his grip on her arms. He dragged her out of the room and threw her into a room that was nearby. He closed the door and Cathleen looked around.

The room looked like a prison cell with the solid gray walls, the small bed, the tiny desk in the corner, and the lack of windows. Cathleen sat down on the bed and finally allowed herself to cry real tears. She didn't really care about what would happen to her but she knew that if they hurt her because they didn't get Gray Dove, then Batman would go on a rampage. In truth, she knew that Bruce loved her and he knew that both Bruce and her brother would be devastated if she was hurt. They would find a way to blame themselves and their was no telling what they'd do then.

 **Random POV (at the Watchtower)**

Batman continued to stare at the screen well after it had gone dark.

"What are we going to do?" Flash asked softly. Batman turned and glared at him.

"That's the thing, I have no idea! My daughter who I _swore_ would never be pulled into this is now in the hands of a criminal that has just given away my secret identity!" Batman shouted. Flash recoiled and the other heroes looked slightly nervous. Almost every Leaguer that knew Batman's secret identity had met Cathleen and they all knew how much Bruce adored her. Cathleen lost her parents when she was six and she lived in Gotham but she was one of the happiest, sweetest, and cutest kids you could ever meet. They all had come to understand the relationship between Batman and Robin and the overprotectiveness was easy for anyone to see. With Cathleen it was a whole lot worse, Oliver had to physically run from Batman because he said "shit" where Cathleen could hear him. Hurting Cathleen was completely out of the question and Sportsmaster had basically threatened to abuse Cathleen if Batman didn't give up Gray Dove, who they still had no idea of where she was.

"Batman, if you let your emotions cloud your judgement, you will be no help to Cathleen" Wonder Woman said carefully. Batman sighed and when he nodded, the other Leaguers visibly relaxed.

"Should we tell Robin?" Aquaman asked.

"I'll need to, she talks to him every night no matter what and he'll go crazy with worry if he doesn't know what's going on" Batman answered.

"What about the rest of the Team?" Green Arrow inquired.

"All of them have met her as civilians and they will go out of their minds if we don't tell them" Batman told them. The other heroes nodded and watched Batman warily as he tried to trace Sportsmaster's call.

{Hello my wonderful readers! Sorry for the wait on the chapter. Thanks for reading. Please review ~ Sugar }


	18. Chapter 18

{ Hey readers, how are you all on this fine day? I just got $40 from babysitting my neighbors' kids and I'm in a good mood so I sat down to write this chapter for you }

 **Cathleen's POV**

Cathleen jumped off the bed as she heard the door creak open. John was standing to the side and he motioned for her to walk forward. They had left her alone all night but they hadn't given her any food. John pushed her into a large room. In the middle of the room, Sportsmaster, Rezal, and the rest of her captors were eating breakfast. John pushed Cathleen into a chair and strolled to sit beside the other two Js. On front of Cathleen was a piece of toast and some eggs. She picked it up and ate it warily. She used her silverware, ever the polite rich girl, and let her eyes dart around the room. There were two large windows to her left and they overlooked a pleasant garden. The sight of the birds in the trees put Cathleen at ease and she relaxed slightly.

"You said you knew Gray Dove, how exactly do you know her and why were you in Carricksvile?" Sportsmaster asked. Cathleen's cheeks flushed and she looked to him.

"I was her first rescue. She saved me from a mugger when I was out with my best friend Kayla. Kayla has run into a store and I was waiting for her when I was pulled into the alley. The guy gagged me and I was defenseless until Gray Dove swooped in and saved me. She told me everything was going to be okay and I gave her a hug. She was so nice and I noticed that her gadgets were very clumsy. I offered to help and she agreed. After that I snuck out to give her my gadgets at least once a week. I never asked her name and she never told me. She put her Team's numbers into my phone and made me promise to call them if I ever got into trouble. Yesterday she told me that she was in trouble and she was going to go off the grid. Then she told me that a friend of hers was watching the criminal underworld and she wasn't going to come out of hiding until her friend told her everything was safe. Later that day I was hanging out with Damian, he and I were friends since before he had moved towns and I was using my free time to catch up with him. Then your henchmen grabbed me and I ended up here" Cathleen said quietly. Sportsmaster nodded.

"You said you weren't surprised that my dad and my brother had kept their superhero lives hidden from me, why?" Cathleen asked in her "I'm scared but also curious" voice.

"Because Batman clearly loves you and your brother. It's kinda obvious that he doesn't really want Robin to be a hero but he can't stop him so he tries to keep him safe. Your brother and your adoptive father clearly don't want to put you in danger" Rezal told her. Sportsmaster nodded in agreement.

"Why do you want Gray Dove?" Cathleen asked them. Rezal laughed.

"There's a challenge of sorts circulating around and the winner gets a small favor from _all_ of the losers. The object is to capture Gray Dove and force her to reveal her secret identity" Sportsmaster said amused. Gray Dove let her fear show on her face and all of the men laughed. Cathleen couldn't eat anymore and she pushed her plate away from her. Rezal gave her a look of fake sympathy and she sat rigid in her chair until they finished their meal. John got up and lead her back to the room. He handed her a pack of clean paper and a bag of colored pencils. Cathleen's face lit up and he grunted, waving away her gratitude and shutting the door.

Cathleen went over to the little desk and sat down. She started to draw a mountain range and glared at the paper as her vision got blurry and a tear dropped onto the page. She wiped her eyes and started a new picture. She started sketching and didn't realize what she was drawing until it was halfway finished. She added the final touches and looked at the drawing of her, Alfred, Dick, and Bruce. In the drawing they were all sitting on a checkered picnic blanket laughing. She recognized the park in the picture and looked at it sadly.

"Please save me, Daddy" she whispered. She started to cry again and moved to lay on the bed. She cried for a few more minutes before drifting off to sleep.

She awoke to someone opening the door and pretended to still be asleep.

"Wake up" Jake ordered her. She sat up and looked at him.

"It's time for the exchange" Jake told her. She felt her eyes go wide in fear and she let out an involuntary shudder. Jake pulled her to her feet and dragged her out of the room. He weary down a narrow hallway and blindfolded her as they got to a garage. Cathleen felt herself being thrown into a car and she hugged her knees to her chest. They drove for about two hours before she was pulled out of the car and the blindfold was ripped off of her. She observed her surroundings and shivered as a cold wind gusted by her.

"Oh Batman, I know you're there" Sportsmaster called. Batman dropped down from a crate and Cathleen opened her mouth to tell him she was fine when Sportsmaster moved with incredible speed and pressed a knife against her neck. She froze and saw Batman glaring at Sportsmaster from the corner of her eye.

"Let the other heroes come out, they've got to be getting anxious about our first meeting" Rezal told Batman calmly. Batman growled and snapped his fingers. Immediately, Robin, Wonder Woman, Green Arrow, Flash, Aquaman, and Superman surrounded them.

"Hmm, pity. I don't see Gray Dove" Sportsmaster said in a disappointed voice. He used his other hand to give Cathleen two quick cuts on her arm and she cried out in pain.

"Let her go!" Robin shouted, holding up birdarangs.

"Now Robin. I can kill her a lot faster than the Flash or you can get me. Back up and tell me why I don't see Gray Dove" Sportsmaster said menacingly.

"You don't see Gray Dove because none of us know where she is. Give me back my daughter you evil bastard" Batman snapped. Sportsmaster chuckled.

"I think I'll keep her until you can find me the hero I want" Sportsmaster answered with a satisfied grin.

"They won't find her" Cathleen whimpered.

"Yes, you've told me this before. I think I'll give them at least a week but after that I think I might get a bit angry" Sportsmaster said calmly. Cathleen shivered and Flash took a step forward. Cathleen's eyes went even bigger as Sportsmaster pushes the knife harder against her skin until a couple of drops of blood appeared beneath it.

"Take me instead" Robin told Sportsmaster. He laughed.

"It's touching that you love your sister that much but she is a lot easier to handle since she hasn't had training from the bat" Rezal told him with a smirk. Robin tensed and Cathleen sent him a warning glance.

"Voi fi bine, ai grija de tata" Cathleen told him softly in Romanian and he gave her a nod. (I'll be fine, take care of dad). Sportsmaster gave the heroes another satisfied grin and dragged Cathleen back to the car.

"It's been fun, I'll see you back here next Saturday?" Sportsmaster asked sarcastically. Batman glared at him and he chuckled again. He whistled and John came forward to blindfold Cathleen. She felt Sportsmaster after the car and pull herself down with him. She sat stiffly trying not to let her neck touch the knife as they drive off.

 **Robin's POV**

 _Why did this have to happen? Only the Team knows that Cathleen is Gray Dove and there's absolutely nothing I can do to help her. Why did they have to take my little sister?_ Robin stared at empty space as he let his thoughts overcome him. He was sitting on a couch in Mount Justice and he couldn't stop thinking about what had happened only an hour ago. He could tell that she was actually scared and he hated that he couldn't help her. Batman hadn't told the rest of the Team but Robin was sure they would figure it out eventually. Artemis walked over and sat down next to him.

"What is going on?" She asked. He shook his head.

"Richard Grayson, you will tell me right now what the hell is wrong with you or so help me I will tell Batman that you have been playing video games til 4:00am every night" Artemis threatened. Robin could feel the states of his friends and he knew they were curious too. He sighed and got up, walking over to the computer. He pulled up two videos and let the first one play. The first was the video that Sportsmaster had sent the Justice League and he knew that his friends were shocked and angry. He played the next video, the footage from a camera he had set up when they had gone to get Cathleen. M'gann gasped as she saw Sportsmaster cut Cathleen's arms and Artemis stiffened. The video ended and they all looked at him with various expressions.

"Batman told me about it and we went to confront Sportsmaster but we couldn't save her. My sister is with him and I am pretty much useless when it comes to how we are going to get her back" Robin told them tiredly.

"Robin we'll get her back, I promise" Zatanna assures him.

"What was she doing with her hands?" Connor asked. Robin turned to him and frowned.

"She was tapping her foot in the first video and she was tapping her hands against her side throughout the last video" Connor elaborated. Robin's eyes widened and he spun around to look at the videos again. He played them and exhaled.

"That little genius, she tried to use Morse Code to send a message!" Wally exclaimed. Robin nodded distractedly as he looked at the videos.

"Quick, get me a paper" he said hurriedly. Wally dashed out and ran back in a few seconds later holding a pencil and six sheets of paper. He handed them to Robin and Robin started the first video again. He wrote down the letters and started the second video. Once he was finished, he stepped back to look at the words.

" _Please try to rescue me. They think I'm completely harmless and I could try to escape but I fear that would put me in more danger. Robin I love you, please don't take your emotions out in the Team. Tell Batman that I've known since you first put Zucco away. Tell the Team not to worry, I can handle this. Oh and tell Gingersnap that I was the one who stole his computer the other day. Tell the Team I miss them and I love them all. Don't be too hard on yourself, this was not your fault. Give my love to Batman and the rest of the League, I know that failure will be hard on them, but I know that they will pull through."_

Robin read the words aloud and felt his eyes start to tear up. Zatanna pulled him into a hug and he let his tears fall.

"We need to tell Batman" Aqualad said softly. They all nodded.

"Tell me what?" Batman asked, coming up behind them. They all jumped and Robin held out the price of paper holding Cathleen's message.

"She used Morse Code to send us a message" Robin said sadly. Batman read the note a couple of times before handing it back to Robin and striding out of the room. They all heard the computer announce him leaving and Raquel let out a sigh.

"What are we going to do?" She asked. They all stayed quiet, none of them had any idea of what to do next.

 **Batman's POV**

Batman strode into the Watchtower and the other Leaguers jumped at his sudden entrance.

"What's up Bats?" Flash asked hesitantly. Batman threw his hands in the air and scowled.

"My daughter used Morse Code in the video and when we tried to get her back. She basically left a message for Robin telling him that she loved him and he shouldn't worry about her. She told him to take care of _me_ and to try and keep his emotions in check. She also told him that she has known for the past three years about us being Batman and Robin" he told them, his voice growing louder and louder until finally he was yelling.

"Batman, she told Robin to keep his emotions in check, you need to do the same if we are ever going to get her back in one piece" Wonder Woman told him sharply. Batman deflated and sighed.

"The fact that she knew about our being superheroes and staying quiet about it tears me apart because I know she was hoping that we would tell her. I am also horrified at the thought that my daughter, who is in the hands of a criminal, used her only chance at communication with us to ask Robin to make sure I don't go down the wrong path. Cathleen basically implied that she is extremely willing to place the well being of myself, her brother, and other heroes above her own, and that terrifies me" Batman told them dejectedly. The other heroes stared at him in disbelief.

"Batman, Robin does this sort of thing all the time and you don't act like this" Aquaman said confused.

"I have trained Robin to the best of my ability because he wanted to protect his sister and other people. I never trained Cathleen and she now lacks the skills that could get her out of this mess" Batman replied. The other heroes nodded their understanding and Batman went over to the computer to look at the videochat from Sportsmaster. There had to be _something_ he could do.

 **Artemis's POV**

Artemis sat down on her bed and pulled out her phone. She had offered to call Roy since she knew that he would feel very guilty if he blew up at all of them. Artemis knew she could handle whatever curses that Red Arrow would spew after hearing the news. She dialed his number and he picked up on the third ring.

"What's up?" Roy asked.

"Cathleen used Morse Code in the video and in the meeting and she wanted Robin to tell you that she was the one who borrowed your computer" Artemis told him. There was a moment of silence and then he exploded.

"WHAT? Cathleen was able to leave us a message and all she said was that she was the one who borrowed my computer?" He fumed.

"The message was for Robin and the main idea was that she loved him and he should take care of Batman and the Team. She told him that she would be fine and that he shouldn't worry. The part telling him to tell you about the computer was near the end" Artemis told him.

"She used her only chance at communication to tell him that she was going to be okay and he should take care of others before her?" Toy asked in disbelief. Artemis agreed and he was silent again.

"Why would want him to tell me that she was the one who borrowed my computer, unless . . . " Roy trailed off and Artemis waited impatiently for him to explain. She heard shuffling in the background and he suddenly laughed.

"What is it?" Artemis questioned.

"She put a program for a tracker on my computer. I'm looking at the first message and it is telling me that she has two tracker programs, one on the BatComputer and one on mine. It says here that the one on the BatComputer links to a tracker that she sewed into her suit, it will only activate if she doesn't deactivate every nine days. It says that the one on my computer links to a tracker that she put in the bracelet I gave her for her birthday. The lasts part of the message states that I shouldn't try to hack into the program or it will permanently deactivate. It says that this is only to be used if she is captured as Cathleen or Lina, Batman is never supposed to know about it. That girl has provided us with a way to find her!" Roy exclaimed.

"That's amazing! Should I tell the rest of the Team now?" She asked.

"No" he told her firmly. She was shocked and asked him why.

"Because a big Team thing would put her in danger. We need to make this a _small_ rescue mission. It doesn't activate for two more days, but after that we should only tell the people we want to come with us" Roy told her.

"Okay, who will we take?" Artemis inquired.

"The two of us are archers so we can cover everyone, probably Wally since he is a speedster and Aqualad should also come in case we have a problem with water" Roy told her.

"Why not Robin?" Artemis asked.

"Normally he would be my first pic, but he would be too unfocused and that could get us all killed" he explained.

"I still think we should have an experienced fighter on the floor. What about Damian? He said he trains with Gray Dove" Artemis suggested. Roy was silent for a second before answering.

"He would be a good asset to the mission, call him and tell him if our plans but don't tell Wally or Aqualad just yet. Robin will assume you are acting weird because you are worried, but if all three of you are on edge it will tip him off" Roy consented. Artemis agreed and hung up. She sat there for a second before she called Lina's phone.

"Hey this is a friend of Lina's, she's unavailable as of now, can I take a message?" Damian asked.

"Damian, we need a fighter on a rescue mission for Lina. You up for it?" Artemis asked.

"Sure. I'm assuming that she has been captured as her civilian identity? I promise I won't give it away, but it might be useful if I know" Damian told her. Artemis hesitated for a minute before she gave in.

"Lina trusts you enough, her real name is Cathleen Grayson" Artemis admitted. She heard Damian gasp as he recognized the name.

"She's Cathleen Grayson? No wonder she is so afraid of the Batman finding out her identity. Bruce would take her mask immediately" Damian said in a dazed tone.

"You should still call her Lina at all times, that way there are no slip ups" Artemis ordered him. He gave his agreement and she explained the plan.

"So as soon as we get the location, we go get her" Artemis finished. Damian agreed and hung up, promising that he would be there. Artemis lowered the phone from her ear and sighed. _If Robin finds out that I didn't tell him, I'm dead. He might actually break his no killing rule and murder me_.

 **Cathleen's POV**

Cathleen woke up back in the tiny room. John was knocking on the door for her to wake up and she jumped off the bed. John pushed open the door and she motioned for her to follow him. They ate breakfast like they did the day before and Cathleen stayed silent as the men talked. After eating she started to feel sort of fuzzy and concluded that her food must have been drugged. It was barely affecting her but she knew it was a high dosage so she needed to act really drowsy. She had worked on making her body immune to most drugs and poisons with Fox and now she was very glad for it. She started to fake swaying in her seat and Rezal noticed. He flicked a hand at her and Jake got up to catch her just as she "fell" out of her chair. She made herself go limp and controlled her breathing, making it seem as though she was sleeping. Jake carries her into a new room and set her down on a soft surface. She partly opened her eyes and looked around at the room. The men assumed she was asleep and they left her alone. She recognized the room as a gym and she almost smiled at the sight of the gymnastics equipment. She looked to another corner and had to smother a gasp as she saw the trapeze that had been set up. She realized what they were going to do and froze. They were going to have her perform for them and since she was "drugged" she would agree easily. She let herself go limp again and flicked her eyes towards the men. They were laughing now and John looked over at her. She faked a groan and sat up.

"Where am I?" She asked in a silly voice.

"Sweetheart, this is a test. You need to perform for us" Rezal told her in a fake comforting voice. The other guys laughed and she stood.

"Okay!" She told them with a lopsided smile. They believed her act and way watched as she walked over to the trapeze.

"Why do I feel so fuzzy?" She asked with a giggle.

"It's the adrenaline. Once you start to fly through the air it will be better" Rezal promised her. She nodded readily but inside she was disgusted. This _was_ how she would act if she were drugged and they were taking advantage of it! She climbed up to the platform and grabbed the bar.

"Will you play some music? Mami and Tati always like music! Will they be here? Oooo is Dick coming?" Cathleen asked. (Mom and dad). Rezal laughed with the other men.

"Your mommy and daddy aren't here right now and sure, I'll play some music" Sportsmaster said as he gave her an evil smile. She returned it with a silly grin and giggled. Some circus music started to play and she gave another fake giggle. She jumped off neatly and swung to the next bar. She flipped and grabbed it easily, faking a hand slip to make it look less natural. She kept flipping and "slipping" until she decided to make herself look _really_ off balance. She flipped one more time to make it seem like a simple fail and purposefully missed the bar. She started to fall and panicked when she realized there was no net. The trapeze was actually very close to the ground but it still hurt when she hit the ground. She had turned so that it wouldn't break any bones but she was sure there was bruises covering all of her back and part of her side. She whimpered in pain and the men rushed over her.

"I thought you were a professional acrobat" Sportsmaster told her.

"I'm sorry, I just feel really off balance. Dick made me swear not to do it without him, h-he promised that he would never let me fall" Cathleen sobbed.

"But you grew up doing this, you shouldn't need your brother to catch you when you fall, you shouldn't even fall at all" Rezal scolded her.

"I'm sorry. Where's my daddy? I want Bruce" Cathleen "cried." The men bought it and they shoved John forward.

"Uh he isn't here but uh I bet he would be proud of you if you um . . . practiced your flips more" he told her hesitantly as if afraid that she was going to start sobbing.

"You're right! Daddy would be proud of me if I practice! He is always so proud of me for practicing math, why not this?" She said happily, faking one of the mood swing that was usually associated with the drug.

"That's right! Go um do some more flips!" John urged her. She smiled at him and ran over to the trapeze again. She did some more flips before "falling" and crying in front of the men. Then John would urge her to do more flips and she would jump up and run back over. She repeated this a couple more times before John suggested she take a nap. She agreed easily and he led her back to the room. She collapsed onto the bed and faked going to sleep. John waited for a few seconds before walking out and shutting the door quietly. Cathleen had already checked to see if there were any cameras and she sat back up. She fingered her watch and checked the hidden tracker. It would start transmitting tomorrow since she had no way to deactivate it and Roy would most assuredly follow it to her. She knew that he would waste no time putting together a rescue team and she only hoped that he wouldn't bring her brother. Robin was sure to be on edge and he wouldn't be able to think straight knowing she was in danger. She went over to the desk and started to draw another picture. This time she drew herself as Gray Dove. She made the forehead a bit smaller and made the chin a bit more pointed. She made the girl in the drawing have two ear piercings on each ear since she had always wanted two but Bruce had only let her get her ears pierced once. She made the girl look older and the girl's figure more pronounced. Cathleen made the background the skyline off of her favorite apartment building in Carricksvile. The better version of Gray Dove had the tips of her hair dyed a light purple and she was wearing a huge smile with her hands on her hips. Cathleen labeled the picture and smiled at it as she took a step back. She yawned and went over to the bed to take a nap. He captors had only been feeding her breakfast and that was the only meal they gave her. It made her super tired and her muscles were now super sore from flipping on the trapeze. She laid down and thought of her Team as she closed her eyes. _I hope they are okay._

{ Hey Readers! How was that chapter? I hope you all are having a fantastic week and I wish you all the best of luck in school or whatever profession you are in. Please review, cause i need that support and feedback. No one answered me about the damian/lina thing so I'm going to make them have a brother/sister relationship type thing. I hope that's okay. I promise that I do have a love interest for Cathleen/Lina/Gray Dove, but it will take a while for me to introduce him. I am always open to any suggestions you might have and thanks for reading my story ~ Sugar }


	19. Chapter 19

{ Hey Readers! How are you all doing? Here's the chapter }

 **Lina's POV**

Lina awoke and checked her watch. The tracker program would have activated two hours ago. Now she only had to wait for her friends to come find her. She looked over at the tiny desk and decided that drawing would be calming. She walked over and sat down. She looked at the page and started to draw. This time her picture was of her whole family. In the drawing, she was sitting next to Dick as they looked out of the picture. Behind them, she had drawn Bruce, Alfred, and her parents. It was the same scene as her other drawing but in this one her parents were standing off to the side gazing at their children with happy smiles. Her parents looked very faint as if they had been shaded with colors that were just a bit too light. In the picture, Cathleen and Dick didn't notice their parents but they were smiling happily as if they knew they were there. Cathleen started to cry and she folded up the drawing, setting it in one of the pockets she had sewn into her sweat pants. It didn't look like anything was there, but Cathleen had spent hours sewing the different pockets on the inside of the pants so that she would always have a place to put her stuff.

She heard John knock on the door and wiped her tears as it opened. He led her out of the room and they headed for breakfast.

"Ahh, Cathleen, I was wondering if you were going to do another performance like you did yesterday" Sportsmaster said calmly. Cathleen furrowed up her brow in fake confusion.

"Yesterday? It's really fuzzy, I don't remember ever doing any type of performance" She told him

"Pity, well I have other things to do today so I will leave you with full access to my garden, one of my men will be out there at all times so please don't try to escape" he told her. She nodded and ate her breakfast slowly. After she was done, she asked to go out to the garden and John led her to a door. He didn't follow her out and she was silently relieved. She went over to some pretty weeds that were sprouting up on the lawn and she sat down. She pulled out the weeds and made several flower crowns and other jewelry. She had a sudden burst of inspiration and she grabbed her creations, running up to the guard who was standing near the wall. He lifted his gun but she held out her flower crowns and bracelets. He gave her a small smile and she lifted several necklaces over his head then put bracelets on his wrists and topped it off with a crown made of all clovers. She smiled at him and went back over to her spot on the grass. About an hour later the next guard came out. He stopped in surprise when he saw his fellow guard.

"Where did you get those?" The new guard asked with a smile.

"The little girl ran up to me and held them out. I didn't want to make her cry so i let her put them on me. They're actually very well made" the old guard replied as he walked back into the building. Cathleen waited a couple more minutes before she came up to the second guard.

"Can I?" She asked. He hesitated, clearly not knowing what to do and then smiled and nodded. She gave him a huge smile and placed her newest creations on him. He gave her a small nod in thanks and she skipped back over to the grass, looking for more weeds to use.

This process repeated for two more hours before she saw a shadow on the roof. She stayed sideways so that she wouldn't draw attention to the figure and recognized it as Artemis. She heard a small explosion and smiled as another exploding arrow landed near her, throwing her into the air and into Artemis's arms. Artemis put a rag over her mouth and told her to act like she was drugged and unconscious. Cathleen did so and went limp, but she kept her eyes halfway open so she could see her surroundings. She felt Artemis hand her to Kid Flash and hid a smile as she was sped off into the distance. Kid Flash set her down beside Damian and gave him a nod before rushing back to the fight. Damian looked at her and smirked.

"I'm pretending to be unconscious, please don't make me laugh" she whispered without moving her lips.

"It's not that, it's just that I'm happy I found out your secret identity before my mom did" Damian told her.

"Please don't tell your mom, she may be my mentor but I don't trust her as much as I trust you" Cathleen whispered. Damian looked shocked.

"Why would you trust me more than my mother? I'm an assassin in training, why would you trust your enemy at all?" Damian asked. Cathleen could hear his confusion and she resisted the urge to get ip and give him a big hug.

"I trust you because when I first saw you, you scowled at me. You didn't hide your feelings and I was thankful for that. And now, you're my brother, Damian, how could I hate my brother?"She explained. He gave her a slight nod and turned away to look for attackers. He gave her a small smile when Kid Flash ran to them with Artemis. He dropped her and ran back to appear moments later with Aqualad. He ran back again and came back with Red Arrow.

"That was some stunt you pulled with the tracking program, Lee" Red Arrow sighed as he picked her up. He knew that she was still pretending to be unconscious for the cameras and he walked over to an old phone booth. He paused and gave Damian a quick thanks, promising to keep him updated He stepped in and the zeta computer recognized him.

"Red Arrow authorization code for Guest C, 66209" Red Arrow stated. The computer confirmed it and he set the coordinates for the mountain. Cathleen felt the slight chill of being teleported and jumped out of Red Arrow's arms as soon as they arrived. Artemis, Kid Flash, and Aqualad appeared soon after them. The other members of the Team were talking with Batman and they didn't notice their friends' arrival. Cathleen held a finger up to her lips and crept up behind Batman before tackling him with a big hug. He grunted in surprise before throwing off his cowell and hugging her back with a huge smile. Robin ran over to greet her.

"What? How?" Robin asked, completely confused.

"Anna helped me to put a tracker program on Roy's computer. The tracker is in my bracelet" She explained. He nodded before pulling her out of Batman's arms and into a bone-crushing hug of his own.

"So you know the whole Team?" Batman asked.

"I know every heroes' identity, besides GD of course, and so I guess you could say I know all of the League, but I did tell the Team that I knew" Cathleen admitted. Robin rolled his eyes and let go of her. She brushed herself off before the rest of the Team pulled her into a group hug.

"Oof, didn't know you guys cared so much" Cathleen told them.

"Of course we care about you, kitty, you're our friend and you've helped all of us with keeping our identities secret" Anna told her. Cathleen gave her a knowing smirk and giggled.

"Ugh those guys were no fun at all, I need some serious sugar right now" she told them. Robin laughed.

"Let me change and then I'll take you myself" he told her with a huge grin. He strode out of the room and Cathleen gave a hug to each individual member of the Team. Batman cleared his throat.

"We need to get you checked out to make sure they didn't give you any toxins" Batman ordered. Cathleen nodded and they walked to the Med-Bay. She pulled off her shirt and Batman took a step back in alarm before he realized she had a sports bra on. He frowned when he saw the bruises and she rolled her eyes.

"They drugged me and encouraged me to to do a performance on a trapeze that they had. I don't remember much, but I think I fell and one of the goons carried me back to my room. I'm fine, they'll clear up in the next week" she assured him. He gave her a sharp nod and she smirked at him, waiting for him to start his questions.

"Why did you never tell me that you knew Gray Dove or that you knew about your brother and I's nightly heroics?" He asked.

"I wanted for you to trust me enough to tell me but I understand that you didn't want to drag me into this. I met Gray Dove around when Dick became Robin and I've been helping her with damage control ever since. She never told me her real identity and only told me to call her Lina. I usually ride my motorbike up to Carricksvile most nights after you and Dick leave to go on patrol" Cathleen answered. He tested her vitals and nodded.

"I'm sorry that I never told you about this" he apologized. She waved him away.

"I've been okay with it since I've been able to help Gray Dove, she was the one who helped me understand why you wouldn't tell me" she admitted. He gave her another nod and she hopped off the bed, pulling on her shirt. Dick ran into the room with a huge smile and she ran over to him, flipping up so she was sitting in his shoulders. He laughed.

"Let's go get some sugar" he told her and she cheered.

"What can we get? Ice Cream? Candy? Cupcakes?" She asked excitedly.

"We'll get them all! I hope you don't mind that the Team has decided to join us" he told her. She giggled.

"I don't mind at all, the more the merrier!" She replies easily. He walked back into the main room and the Team smiled at her.

"We can't just show up with you so Dick is going to pretend to introduce us at the ice cream parlor, then we can head to get even more sweets" Artemis told her. Cathleen smiles and nodded. She was glad to be back.

 **Random POV**

Sportsmaster walked into the room and looked at the projections of the figures.

"The plan failed when the teen heroes came to rescue the girl. We don't know how they found her, but it was obvious that she didn't recognize them in their superhero outfits. They knocked her out and took special care to make sure she was comfortable. They left her with a boy and fought off our guards before the young speedster got them out. Our theory was correct, in the days that she was captured, Batman and Robin made easy mistakes and were a lot angrier. The rest of the Justice League also seemed to be more on edge. Later, she would make a good distraction if we were to take her again. She was very easy to handle and didn't try to escape at all. Cathleen Grayson seems to have a very childlike personality and it seems the whole Justice League loves her, even if they have only met her as their civilian selves. She picked weeds from my garden and made my guards flower accessories. I believe that the Justice League will try to protect her a lot more, but she is in essence, the perfect hostage" Sportsmaster told them.

"She is a sweet girl and all of Gotham has taken to calling her the "little light" of the city. She isn't very observant and I think it would be easy to lure her into a trap. Many people would be angered if she was taken in public, but they would all be at our mercy if we threatened her" Rezal added. The figures looked like white outlines but it was easy to tell who they were.

"Very good, Cathleen Grayson will be useful to the Lighy. But do not try to catch the girl just yet. We need the Justice League to lower their guard so we can proceed with our other plans" Queen Bee commented. The other members of the Light nodded and the projections shut off. Sportsmaster turned to Rezal and nodded.

"It will tear the heroes to pieces knowing that the only reason we ever came after her was because she had relations in their ranks" Rezal told him. Sportsmaster nodded again.

"It'll be fun to play with the Justice League. Send out some rumors about the little light if Gotham being targeted, don't make any offensive moves, but we do want to keep them in their toes" Sportsmaster said with a evil grin. Rezal matched his smile and they laughed.

 **Cathleen's POV**

After eating tons of sweet treats with her friends, Cathleen decided she wanted to go and sing. She often went to the town square and sang for people passing by. She would leave her backpack open for people to put money in and she would always donate the money to the local charities. Bruce often said it was her own charity fund and that she was following in his footsteps. She skipped to the town square and set up her backpack in the usual spot. The people already there smiled and walked over to watch her. She spotted her friend Jackson and motioned him over. Jackson usually played his guitar as she sang and together, they usually got a lot of money for the charities. Cathleen set up her bag with the small sign saying "For Charity" and the people gathered around. Jackson strummed his guitar and Cathleen's smile widened as she recognized the tune.

" _This land is your land, this land is my land  
From the California to the New York island  
From the Redwood Forest, to the gulf stream waters  
This land was made for you and me  
As I went walking that ribbon of highway  
I saw above me that endless skyway  
And saw below me that golden valley  
This land was made for you and me  
I roamed and rambled and I followed my footsteps  
To the sparkling sands of her diamond deserts  
And all around me , a voice was sounding  
This land was made for you and me  
When the sun comes shining, then I was strolling  
In the wheat fields waving and dust clouds rolling  
The voice was chanting as the fog was lifting  
This land was made for you and me  
This land is your land and this land is my land  
From the California to the New York island  
From the Redwood Forest, to the gulf stream waters  
This land was made for you and me  
When the sun comes shining, then I was strolling  
In wheat fields waving and dust clouds rolling  
The voice come chanting as the fog was lifting  
This land was made for you and me_"

Cathleen danced around as she sang and pulled children over to dance with her. She wore a huge smile as they twirled and laughed and the spectators all were smiling as well. She finished her song and sat down to catch her breath. People had been setting money in her backpack during the song, but now she saw the backpack overflowing as the people clapped. She smiled and gave Jackson a pleading look. He sighed and began to play her favorite song. This one was called Bright and it was made by Echosmith.

" _I think the universe is on my side  
Heaven and earth have finally aligned  
Days are good and that's they way it should be  
You sprinkle stardust on my pillow case  
It's like a moon beam brushed across my face  
Nights are good and that's the way it should be  
You make me sing "oooh, la la la, oooh, la la la"  
You make me sing "oooh, la la la, oooh, la la la"  
You make me sing  
And I see colors in a different way  
You make what doesn't matter fade to grey  
Life is good and that's the way it should be  
You make me sing "oooh, la la la, oooh, la la la"  
You make me sing "oooh, la la la, oooh, la la la"  
You make me sing  
'Cause now I'm shining bright, so bright  
And I get lost in your eyes  
Now I'm shining bright, so bright  
Bright, so bright  
You make me sing "oooh, so bright, oooh, so bright"  
Now I'm shining "oooh, so bright, oooh, so bright"  
'Cause now I'm shining bright, so bright  
Bright, so bright  
Bright, so bright  
And I get lost in your eyes  
Now I'm shining "oooh, so bright, oooh, so bright"  
Now I'm shining "oooh, so bright, oooh, so bright"  
Now I'm shining bright._"

Cathleen twirled around the small space in the crowd and spun the little girls who were dancing with her. She always loved to do this because of their faces. The little kids that danced with her always looked so happy and innocent when they danced with her and that was one of the things that motivated her when she was Gray Dove. She became a superhero because she wanted to save people, but singing for the children was her favorite thing to do by far. She finished her song and checked her watch. She needed to be home in 30 minutes and she apologized to her audience.

"I'll be back as soon as I can" she promised. They all nodded and she thanked Jackson for yet another time that he had played for her. She grabbed her backpack and skipped all the way to her next destination, the orphanage. She walked in and the lady at the desk smiled.

"Cathleen, how nice it is to see you!" Laura said with a smile. The kids playing in the next room heard her name and ran over to greet her. She pulled the cash out of her backpack and handed it to Laura before taking a stack of candy bars out of her front pocket. She always brought candy when she visited the orphanage and the little kids loved her. She passed out the candies and whistles loudly. A couple of seconds later the older kids rushed down the stairs. She gave them a happy smile as she gave them each a candy bar and they each gave her a hug.

"Thanks Cathleen! Will you sing for us?" Henry, one of the eight year olds, asked. Cathleen nodded and began to sing baby songs like Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and Hush Little Baby. She changed the word in the second song so she said little kids instead of little baby and Cathleen instead of daddy. She sang until her watch beeped and put her hand on her forehead for dramatic affect.

"Oh no! I'm late!" She cried and the kids laughed. She gave them a smile and grabbed her backpack, dashing outside and onto the sidewalk. She ran all the way back to the manor and opened the door just as the clock struck 5:00.

"Good heavens Miss Cathleen, you look exhausted" Alfred told her. She gave him a tired smile and sat down.

"I … ran from … the orphanage and … almost … didn't make it in time" she said between breaths. He nodded at her.

"Of course Miss Cathleen. Dinner shall be ready in ten minutes, your brother is upstairs if you would like to pay him a visit" Alfred said with a light smile. She nodded and, forgetting that she had just run all the way from the orphanage, got up and ran up the stairs. She threw open the door and tackled her brother.

"What's up sweet pea?" She asked. He rolled his eyes. She had started to call him baby names to annoy him and it was working perfectly.

"Nothing. Just wondering why I saw you singing in town square without a bodyguard" he retorted. She cringed.

"I can't just not sing, and I was careful! Please don't tell Bruce?" She pleaded. He smirked.

"All right, let's head down before Alfred starts to yell at us" he agreed. She smiled and skipped out of the room. She jumped up so that she was sitting on the banister and crossed her legs to the side as she slid down. She jumped off before she reached the ground and did a flip. Dick followed her easily and gave her one of his special smiles. He was always happy but he somehow always managed to convey tons of things when he smiled at her, but only to her. It was a skill they had developed when they were little and they could have a complete conversation without ever doing anything but looking at each other. Dick had tried to teach the rest of his Team but they just couldn't mimic the connection that Dick and Cathleen had.

"Ahh Miss Cathleen and Master Richard, how nice of you to join us" Alfred said from his spot at the table next to Bruce. Cathleen gave them both a smile and sat down.

"Hey Bruce, Cathleen was singing in town square without a bodyguard again" Dick said in an easy tone. Cathleen glared at him telling him that this was a betrayal of the highest kind. He looked at her and showed that he knew and that he was only looking out for her. Cathleen sighed as she looked towards Bruce.

"I know, I did have her being followed by my men but they said she disappeared. They didn't find her until she was already at the orphanage" Bruce replied. Cathleen gave him a sheepish smile.

"My guards always scare off the little kids and I was perfectly safe" she assured him. He huffed.

"What if something had happened to you?" He asked her sceptically.

"Gray Dove was watching me" she told him. Dick started in surprise.

"She was?" He wondered aloud.

"Yeah, she found out about my kidnapping and she felt terrible. She is stickin' to the shadows but she is watching out for me" Cathleen told them. Bruce nodded.

"The Justice League needs to apologize for not telling her about the challenge and i would like to thank her for not showing up to get ransomed off" Bruce told her. They all looked at him in surprise.

"There was no telling that they would actually let you go, they might have used you as an incentive for Gray Dove to give away our secrets and it turned out okay. I know that the girl probably blames herself for you getting taken and I don't want that guilt to wear her down" Bruce elaborated. Cathleen nodded. It warmed her heart that her adoptive father cared about her alter ego and she was tempted to tell him, but she knew that he would never allow her to continue. Dick came to the same conclusion and shot Cathleen a sympathetic look. She gave him a knowing grin and her eyebrows shot up as she got a sudden burst of inspiration.

"Dick formally introduced me to the rest of the Team and I was hoping that I could invite Zatanna over for family dinners, she is Robin's girlfriend after all" Cathleen said evenly. She smirked as he turned completely scarlet and the older two men turned towards her with sly grins.

"I believe that would be quite alright" Alfred told her.

"Oh and Artemis has kinda become my older sister and I think it would be fun if she could come as well" Cathleen added. Bruce nodded.

"Both of those sound like good ideas. I look forward to meeting Zatanna and Artemis as myself" Bruce told them. It wasn't obvious, but Cathleen could tell from the slight quirk to his lips that he was greatly amused. She gave him a huge smile and he laughed out loud at her antics. Cathleen loved making him laugh, she thought he was always too solemn and she had made it her mission to get him to laugh as much as possible.

{How was that? Did you like the chapter? Am I making it too fluffy? Not fluffy enough? I don't really care if you have negative feedback, I just need that feedback so I can make my story better. I hope you enjoyed my story and please review. Thanks for reading ~ Sugar }


	20. Chapter 20

{Hey Readers! How are y'all doing? This chapter is kinda just an insight into Cathleen and Artemis's relationship. I hope you like it even though it may be a bit short. Here it is! }

 **Cathleen's POV**

Cathleen dashed over to Kayla and was hopping up and down.

"What happened?" Kayla asked.

"OMG in class, the teacher had to call tech support for the attendance and the tech support guy was British! She had him on speaker and his voice, oh my, I was about ready to propose marriage" Cathleen gushed. Kayla looked at her enviously.

"That is so not fair! You get to have a full class worth of listening to a British guy and I had to do tests!" Kayla exclaimed. Artemis walked up to them and sat down.

"What's up with you guys?" Artemis asked.

"Cathleen got to listen to a hot British guy all of last period!" Kayla answered.

"How do you know he was hot?" Artemis asked skeptically.

"He had to be, no guy with such a beautiful accent can be ugly" Cathleen explained. Artemis rolled her eyes.

"Well, that's stupid logic" Artemis retorted. Cathleen and Kayla gasped dramatically.

"How could you say that? British guys have like the best voices and looks!" Kayla told her animatedly.

"Each to her own, I suppose" Artemis said carelessly.

"You only say that because you are in love with a certain American redhead" Cathleen said with a knowing smirk. Artemis blushed.

"Okay, you've got me, but there are plenty of cute guys in America and they have great voices too" Artemis told them. Cathleen and Kayla looked at her as though she were crazy.

"Yeah there are, but British guys have the accent" Kayla replied. Dick walked up behind them and threw his arms around Cathleen.

"Someone's not whelmed. Why are the two tinies not feeling the aster?" He asked Artemis.

"They are trying to convince me that British guys are better than all other guys" Artemis explained. Dick cringed.

"Yikes, I suggest giving up, I had this conversation with Cathleen about a year ago and she seriously is passionate about it" Dick told Artemis.

"She's passionate about proving that British guys are the best guys?" Artemis questioned.

"Yep, they both love the accent and refuse to believe that there is such thing as a ugly British guy. I tried using the logic that some of them are douches but they said that even if they were jerks, they were still hot" Dick elaborated. Artemis rolled her eyes.

"On another note, who's ready for PE?" Kayla inquired. They were all in the same PE class and tried to keep each other from showing off too much.

"I am totally ready! Coach Gerard said that we are doing dodgeball!" Cathleen told them excitedly. Artemis smirked.

"I bet you'll be the first one out" Artemis said with a smile. Cathleen gave another dramatic gasp.

"Oh it is on!" She agreed. They smiled and Artemis hip bumped Cathleen. Cathleen stumbled and fell backwards. Someone caught her and she looked up to see a guy holding her with a sheepish smile.

"Sorry about that" she apologized. He looked to be about two years older than her and she was really embarrassed at him having to catch her.

"No problem, just be more careful next time" he said in a _British accent_. She gasped as she stood up.

"Are you British?" She asked excitedly. He nodded with a confused look on his face.

"I'm guessing you're a new student. My name is Cathleen and the lovely people behind me are Artemis, Richard (but we call him Dick), and my bestie Kayla" Cathleen introduce them and they waved.

"Oh um my name is Leo and yes I'm a new student. Would you know where PE is? My guide has abandoned me" he told her. She nodded.

"That's where we're headed" Cathleen told him.

"Do you have a girlfriend?" Kayla blurted. He shook his head and Cathleen smirked at him.

"Dick, Artemis, come on, let's leave these two to get to know each other" Cathleen called, grabbing their hands and dragging them off. Artemis rolled her eyes again.

"Did you really just try to set up your best friend with a british guy?" She inquired. Cathleen nodded.

"That's exactly what I did, although they could probably use a bit more pushing to get together" Cathleen admitted. Dick rolled his eyes.

"Now all we need is a boyfriend for you" Artemis teased. Dick's eyebrows shot straight up and he scowled at the notion of his little sister having a boyfriend.

"She's too young" he grumbled. Artemis gave Cathleen a sympathetic look.

"Yeah, big brothers are a bit overprotective of you ask me" Cathleen admitted. Robin raised his eyebrows at her and she burst out giggling.

 **Artemis's POV**

Artemis threw one of the foam balls at her opponent and grinned as it hit his side and the PE teacher yelled that he was out. She had been put on Cathleen's team this time and they had made quick work of getting Kayla and her new 'friend' out of the game. Artemis found it hilarious how Kayla and Leo had sat next to one another and had just kept talking to one another and ignoring the game. They didn't even look up when a student's throw went wonky and the ball hit the wall a couple of inches above their heads. Leo had just caught the ball and thrown it back into the gym with an annoyed look.

"Aww, young love" Cathleen said with a smile as if she were reminiscing. Artemis rolled her eyes.

"What would you know about 'young love'?" Artemis asked with a knowing smirk.

"Oh I know plenty from watching all the couples on the Team" Cathleen answered breezily.

"Oh really?"

'Yes, Artemis, it's kinda hard not to stare when hormonal teenagers are having lovey _dovey_ moments"

"That pun was terrible and we aren't all hormonal teenagers"

"Yes you are, Wally actually kissed you on New Years and Connor and M'gann have to be one of the cutest couples I've ever seen. Dick and Zatanna come in a close second though"

"Are you saying that Wally and I aren't a cute couple?"

"Not at all, but you're more of a sassy fight couple. It's fun to watch and it's hilarious, but not as adorable as Connor and M'gann's attempts at flirting and the color Dick's face goes when Zatanna uses his made up words"

"You make a good point, but now that I think of it, you and Anna were the only ones on the Team without love interests, but now I think you're the only one"

"Yep! And I'm happy with it that way! Boys my age are complete idiots and while Kayla having a freshman boyfriend is fine because she is only one year younger, I'm _two_ years younger. That all adds up to me not really being interested as of now, plus Dick would screw up any relationship I would ever even think about having"

"Yikes, I forgot about your brother. I'm now thinking that you may never get a boyfriend. I mean, a guy would have to be completely crazy to try and risk Batdad and your older brother"

"Yep. Wait, did you say Batdad?"

"Uh yeah, why?"  
"Um because that is absolutely hilarious!"

"You're absolutely hilarious"

"Why thank you. That means so much"  
"You're so conceited"  
"It warms my heart that you noticed"

"Stop smiling like that, someone could mistake you for the Joker!"

"Please, my smile is adorable and everyone loves it. No one could _ever_ mistake me for the Joker"

"I don't know, put on some white powder and dye your hair green. Someone might just think that you're related"

"Stop it! I'm going to die of giggles!"

"Now that you mention it, it is very giggle worthy. The daughter of the Bat being told that she could look like the Joker, who would ever believe it?"

"That's what I was thinking!"

"Though for anyone who didn't know the Bat's identity, it would be hard to believe that the Batman actually had a daughter with how dark and brooding he is"

"He's not _that_ dark and brooding"

"Lee, I have to say that he is the most dark and brooding out of all the heroes in the JLA!"

"Are you sure? Cause you get pretty moody when your time of the month comes"

"Excuse me, those idiots were in my way and they were being morons!"

"The boys on the Team are not idiots or morons. They just . . . need a bit of female guidance sometimes"

"More like babysitting" Artemis muttered under her breath. Cathleen turned to glare at her and Artemis shrugged. The coach blew the whistle and they finally realized that they were actually the last ones standing. They had been too involved in their conversation to even notice. Artemis turned to look at Cathleen for a second and they were silent for a moment before they both started laughing.

{ Did y'all like that? Am I doing okay? Was that even remotely good? Am I starting to fail you with this terrible story? Please give me answers! Also, what is your fav dessert and/or candy? I'll tell you mine if I can get at least two reviews. Please help me out. Just hit that little button and type a few words. Please gimme those reviews! Thanks for reading! ~ Sugar }


	21. Chapter 21

**Lina's POV**

Lina stood stiffly in front of Batman. He had pulled her aside to talk to her and she was afraid of what news he might have.

"Lina, I'm sorry to tell you that we are getting nowhere with the _challenge_. I'm afraid that we cannot allow you to continue patrolling in Carricksvile until this matter has been resolved. You will still be able to come to the mountain and train, but all of your other hero related activities are now suspended" Batman informed her. Lina was speechless for a moment then she turned around and walked directly out of the room. She was downright furious. _How can they do this to me? I need to be Gray Dove. I need to be able to help people! They can't stop me from patrolling and I don't give a rat's ass about what they'll try to say. They can't ground me, I chose a bird of hope for a reason and I won't let them forbid me from patrolling!_

 **Robin's POV**

Robin heard Batman telling Lina that she couldn't be Gray Dove and he scowled. He knew that he would never be able to give up being Robin and his sister would be just as stubborn if not more. He heard the automated voice announce Lina leaving and walked over to Batman.

"You probably would have had a better chance trying to put the mountain on lock down. Lina probably won't come back here unless it's for training and she will never listen to your order of her giving up being a hero. You know how you would feel about it and she's a frickin' teenager! She is not going to listen to you and she might just push herself farther into danger trying to prove herself!" Robin roared. He knew he was being unreasonable, but he was sure that Batman had just doomed his sister.

"I know" Batman told him calmly.

"What?" Robin faltered.

"That would be the reaction of most teenagers and Lina will most assuredly patrol tonight but I believe that she is too smart to ignore the fact that this is only for her protection. I'm having Red Arrow watch her on patrol and she probably won't notice it since she is too angry. Your Team is great at understanding and comforting each other. I believe that this will help you bond even more and I hope that you will be able to suggest that she allow one of you to patrol _with_ her. That would be infinitely more logical than pushing her to continue patrolling recklessly and risking her own safety as well as those who she is trying to protect" Batman stated calmly. Robin was taken aback by the logic that Batman presented and he found himself nodding in agreement.

"I-I'm sorry that I blew up at you" Robin apologized. Batman gave him a warm smile.

"You seem to care about her as you do with Cathleen and that completely justified your reaction to this incident. I must admit, she reminds me of Cathleen as well and it only makes me want to protect her more. Gray Dove has really gotten me to think about my decision of not giving Cathleen the option to join us and become a superhero" Batman said evenly. Robin hid a smile and nodded.

"They could be twins for how similar they are" Robin agreed. Batman nodded and Robin started to walk away.

"I need to talk with Artemis, but I think that she was going to take Cathleen shopping later" Robin called over his shoulder. Batman gave a huff in agreement and Robin smiled. He knew that Bruce was keeping track of Cathleen's whereabouts 24/7 and she was none the wiser. If only Bruce knew that when she was "working on homework" and "hanging out with friends" she was actually masquerading as Gray Dove. He laughed quietly as he the zeta transported him to the cave. By the time he was up in the manor, his silent chuckles had turned into full blown laughter. The _Batman_ had actually never figured it out that his _daughter_ was the same superhero that he was trying to care for. The fact that an eleven year old girl that actually lived in the same house as the Batman was providing the Batman's current mystery was absolutely hilarious.

 **Batman's POV**

"Batman, it has come to my attention that many villains and supervillains are after Gray Dove. I believe it would help her if I were to place a protection charm upon her" Dr. Fate stated calmly. Batman frowned in thought and motioned for him to go on.

"It would be a simple spell and all it would do is conceal her from other magic users. It would only last for a few months but I believe it would be quite useful" Fate explained. Batman nodded.

"It does sound logical. Are you absolutely sure that it won't backfire?" Batman asked.

"There would need to be no interuptions, the spell is quite easy but if someone startled me during the incantation, the spell could go completely askew" Fate admitted. Batman nodded.

"I'll discuss it with the Team although it would need to be Gray Dove's choice in the end" Batman told the Lord of Order. Fate nodded and walked away without another word.

 **Damian's POV**

Damian was meditating when his phone started to vibrate. He frowned. There were very few people who would dare disturb his meditation, these including: his mother, his grandfather, and Lina. Although Lina didn't actually know that he could get extremely cranky if he was disturbed and he had also told her to call him if she ever needed anything. He quickly reached over to grab the phone and swiped across to answer the call.

"Hey, Damian, uh, you told me to call you if I ever needed anything and um I'm kinda pissed off right now and I might need someone to watch my back while I'm on patrol tonight" Lina said hesitantly. When he first heard her voice he started to panic, thinking something was wrong. He was relieved to hear her simple request and checked his watch. He didn't have any more lessons today and his mother would easily be convinced if he told her he was going to help Lina.

"Yeah, Lina, I'll come" he answered easily. He heard her sigh in relief and smiled.

"Great, I'll see you at the Safe House around six" she told him. He agreed and hung up. It didn't surprise him that she had called, she cared about her city too much to allow herself to go out in a bad mood. They had both been taught to never let their emotions get the better of them and he knew that part of the reason she had called _him_ was because she needed to rant. He grabbed a mask from the wall in his room and paused before grabbing three throwing knives. He changed into all black tight fitting clothes and went to the garage. He hopped onto one of the many motorcycles and drove the distance to Carricksvile.

Once he got to the Safe House, he locked up his bike and walked inside. Lina was sitting on the couch and she jumped up as soon as she saw him. She gave an approving nod at his mask and put on her own.

"Ready?" he asked calmly. She nodded and they walked out. She led him around the city a couple of times before Damian noticed they were being watched. He knew Gray Dove was too upset to realize they were being followed so he kept an eye out for the both of them. After stopping a mugging, he caught a glimpse of Red Arrow and instantly relaxed. The Justice League had sent Red Arrow to watch over Gray Dove as she patrolled. After things got pretty quiet, Gray Dove explained what had happened with Batman.

"His decision was ill advised, I think the only thing you can do here is ask him if you can patrol with a back up, like me. Bruce wayne is used to protecting his daughter so when he meets this young superheroine that looks very similar to his daughter, it brings out his protective instincts" Damian told her.

"You're right. I just get annoyed that he keeps trying to box me in. He thinks I'm thirteen but he still tries to babysit me. I'm sure it would be even worse if I told him who I am but I hate lying to him" Gray Dove sighed. Damian patted her shoulder.

"Lina, he will figure it out eventually or you will tell him, but it is best to postpone that until you're old enough to challenge his verdict" Damian told her. She nodded miserably.

"No one on my Team would understand because their mentors know their identities and actively encourage them to continue being heroes. I just feel that I'm all alone and Batman unintentionally keeps trying to push me away from my friends" Gray Dove admitted. He nodded.

"Your Team may not completely understand, but they would try to help and at this point, you need _a lot_ of that help" Damian told her.

"I don't need coddling, but I suppose Artemis would try to help in a way that doesn't seem like doing things for me, she knows how I feel about people trying to baby me" Gray Dove consented. Damian gave her a smile.

"I'll patrol with you for the next few nights but you should ask your Team. They would be more than willing to accompany you on your daily rounds" Damian replied. She nodded and they set off again.

They stopped a few more small crimes and then headed back. Damian had noticed that after their talk, she had calmed down and was more professional. He was happy about her change in mood and he really enjoyed patrolling with her. He had taught that the strong were meant to rule over the weak but the people that he helped with Gray Dove were so grateful. He supposed that being a hero wasn't so bad if you got to hear all that praise day after day.

 **Red Arrow's POV**

Red Arrow was pacing the floor with a frown. He had known Batman's plan to help Gray Dove get closer with the Team, but from what he had seen tonight, it was pushing her farther away. His phone rang and he sighed. He picked it up and was met by Batman's gruff voice.

"How was patrol?" Batman asked.

"Nothing bad happened, but . . ." Red Arrow trailed off.

"What happened?" Batman asked harshly.

"She's smarter than you give her credit for. She realized that she would be off kilter because of what you had told her so she called a friend. His name is Damian and he's the one who helped us with Cathleen's rescue. He's not technically a hero and well, I'm nervous about what he might have told her while they were patrolling together" Red Arrow admitted.

"What do you mean by 'not exactly a hero'?" Batman questioned.

"Well, his mother works for the League of Assassins and he grew up there. His mom took an interest in Gray Dove when she was just starting out and trained her to be what she is today. Lina told me that Fox, her mentor, had left Damian with her for a few days because Fox needed a babysitter. Damian and Lina got pretty close and she keeps trying to tell me that he's got a good heart, but I worry that he is corrupting her" Red Arrow answered. Batman was silent for a moment before talking again.

"Gray Dove's mentor is actually Talia al Ghul. She calls herself Fox when she is with Gray Dove. Talia confronted Robin a short time after Gray Dove met the Team and Talia threatened Robin to keep Gray Dove safe. Apparently, Talia won't try to recruit the girl until she is sixteen because she thinks the girl needs to strengthen her will before she is taken into the League of Assassins. I don't believe Damian will try to corrupt Gray Dove because I think he is too young" Batman stated in a lighter tone.

"Oh thank god, Damian seemed like a nice kid when I met him but I really just don't want him to hurt Gray Dove" Red Arrow said, relieved.

"Talia said that the League of Assassins doesn't recruit children and I assume that while Damian may have been taught to fight, he won't have learned to steel his nerves and have no remorse at killing people, yet" Batman assured him. Red Arrow nodded even though Batman couldn't see it. Batman thanked him for his report and hung up. Red Arrow collapsed onto his bed and stared at the ceiling. He knew that Batman was right but he made a mental not to have a little _chat_ with Damian at the soonest opportunity.

{I've become aware that I have posted twenty chapters and I still only have six reviews. Would someone please just tell me like, "good job" or "I don't think that … is logical or realistic" or even "you need to change this, this, and this if you want your story to be successful". Please just gimme a review on ANYTHING. On another note, I watched Nutcracker - The Four Realms. It was actually pretty good but I really wanted Clara to kiss Phillip at the end. Loved the story line but the plot was kinda obvious. Anyone else watch it? Have any thoughts? My favorite disney movie had got to be Sleeping Beauty because I watched it like every car trip that my family took me on. The newer version was Maleficent, I did like that one a lot and the perspective was really cool. What's your favorite disney movie? I hope you enjoyed this story ~ Sugar }


	22. Chapter 22

{Hey Readers! How are you all on this fine day? Or is it night where you are at? Anyways, enjoy the chapter}

 **Lina's POV**

Lina walked up to the door and hesitated before knocking. Roy answered immediately and opened the door.

"Oh hey Lina" he said awkwardly.

"Can I stay the night? I feel really nervous but I don't want to go back to the mountain just yet" she told him. He nodded and let her in. It was a bit of a shock when she saw Jade Crock standing in the living room.

"Roy, who is this?" Jade asked skeptically.

"I'm Lina or better known as Gray Dove. It's nice to finally meet you Cheshire, Roy's told me a lot about you" Lina said with a smile. She held out a hand to Jade and Jade took it reluctantly.

"What's he told you?" Jade asked, her confidence returning. Roy gave Lina a warning glare and she ignored it.

"Just that he's had the biggest crush on you since you first fought in France" Lina said simply. Jade raised her eyebrows.

"That was at least five years ago" Jade stated. Roy's face had turned completely red and Lina gave him an 'innocent' smile. Jade was now laughing and Lina couldn't control her giggles. Roy rolled his eyes and walked back into the kitchen. He grabbed a sprite for Lina and he grabbed two beers for himself and Jade. He tossed Jade her drink and she caught it easily. They all sat down, Lina in the comfy chair and the two of them on the couch. Roy suddenly stood up and smacked his forehead.

"Shit, I forgot to get stuff from the store for tomorrow" Roy said with a frown.

"Go ahead, we'll be fine" Lina told him. He smiled and walked to the door.

"I'll be back soon! Bye little birdie!" he called over his shoulder as he shut the door. Lina froze and started to shake. Her eyes were filled with fear and she was starting to tear up when Jade called her name.

 **Jade's POV**

"Lina!" Jade shouted. Jade was baffled at the sharp change in mood and Lina looked terrified. Jade grabbed Lina and pulled her into her arms.

"It's okay sweetheart, you're safe" she said softly.

"Please don't let him get me" Lina whimpered.

"Whoever it is you are afraid of, I promise he's not here, he can't get you" Jade assured the young girl.

"Please don't let the Joker get me" Lina cried. Jade's face furrowed in confusion and she pulled Lina closer to her.

"The Joker isn't here, sweetheart. He's locked up in Arkham and you're safe with me" Jade told her.

"He said 'little birdie' that's what the Joker called me" Lina whispered. Jade could feel the young girl shaking in her arms and she felt anger rise up inside her. The Joker had gotten Lina? How did that happen? Lina was supposed to be Carricksvile's hero not Gotham's!

"I promise the Joker can't get you here. You're safe and I'll protect you" Jade promised.

"T-thank y-you" Lina stuttered. Jade pulled her closer and held her until the tears slowed.

"Do you want to tell me what happened?" Jade asked. Lina nodded.

"J-Joker captured me in C-Carricksvile because he said he heard talk of a new bird themed hero a-and he tortured me f-for information" Lina admitted quietly.

"How did you get out?" Jade asked.

"B-Batman and R-Red Arrow saved me" Lina answered. Jade was horrified. She knew Joker was insane but to have caused this reaction in someone so young, it was the crime of a monster. She hummed soft tunes until Lina fell asleep and then she carried the girl to the guest bed. She laid the girl down and covered her with a blanket. Jade smiled as Lina made a happy sound and snuggled into the blanket. She was slowly walking out of the room when she heard Roy opening the door. She ran over and held a finger to her lips. Silently urging him to keep his voice down.

"Lina's asleep?" he asked quietly.

"Yeah, she had a panic attack while you were gone" Jade whispered back. Roy furrowed his brows in confusion.

"Apparently you calling her 'little bird' reminded her of her time with the Joker" Jade elaborated. His mouth fell open in an 'o' shape. He looked really sad.

"I would never intentionally try to hurt her" Roy whispered.

"I know and she knows that too. I was able to help her calm down but I don't think you should use that nickname anytime soon" Jade assured him. He nodded and they went back into the kitchen. They discussed a multitude of topics, all while keeping their voices down, and Jade was happy just to talk to Roy.

 **Roy's POV**

The next morning, Roy woke up to the sound of sizzling bacon and the smell of tantalizing muffins. He walked into the kitchen and smiled at the sight of Lina dancing around the kitchen as she listened to music from her headphones and prepared breakfast. He watched her for a second, smiling. He loved seeing her like this. It was seeing how happy she was doing normal things like making breakfast and dancing that gave him the determination to be a hero day after day. She looked so innocent and pure in those moments, he would give almost anything to protect that innocence and purity. He sat down at the table and Lina jumped in surprise when she saw him.

"Dang nabbit! You startled me!" she exclaimed. He smirked.

"Dang nabbit? You're still watching looney tunes?" he asked with a smile.

"I will have you know that you are NEVER too old to watch cartoons!" she told him with a determined look. He laughed.

"I thought that you were trying to get people to see you as a capable hero? They're always going to view you as a baby if you say stuff like 'dang nabbit'. Honestly, I wonder why I even try" he said with an exasperated tone. She tried to give him a bat glare but failed miserably. Her face wasn't meant to screwed up like that and she just made herself look even more adorable. He kept laughing as she tried to continue her glaring. Eventually she failed and broke out in giggles. They must have been pretty loud, because Jade stumbled out of Roy's room looking like she had just woken up. Lina and Roy were quiet for a second. Jade looked like she was about ready to kill someone and it was easy to see that she was not a morning person.

"Jade! You want some breakfast?" Lina asked with a happy smile. Jade took one look at the younger girl and caved under the sweet expression. Roy smirked and Jade rolled her eyes. They both grabbed plates and sat down to eat.

 **Jade's POV**

When Jade first woke up, she heard Roy's easy banter with Lina and it made her relax instantly. She had been trained to be constantly vigilant and alert. However, Lina and Roy's mere presence made her feel safe and at ease. With Roy alone, she had felt the slightest need to be vigilant, but with Lina, she knew nothing bad would happen. It was a weird feeling and she couldn't quite describe it, but Lina just being there made everything feel safe. She had only just met Lina but already she had become like a second little sister. Emphasis on the little.

"You're a lot like your sister in that aspect" Lina told her, startling Jade out of her thoughts.

"My sister?" Jade asked, confused.

"Yeah, Artemis is terrible with mornings. Last week we were all sleeping at the mountain and Robin dared Kid Flash to wake her up. I remember that he shook her shoulders and she had him pinned to the floor with an arrow against him his throat in a second. Then she realized where she was and just grumbled that he shouldn't've woken her up so early" Lina narrated with a giggle.

"Well he should know better than to wake her up early" Jade defended her sister.

"It was nine am" Lina stated. Roy laughed and Jade cracked a smile. She had no defense for her sister's morning behavior now.

"I'm sure you've got lots of stories about my sister" Jade hinted.

"Oh yeah! Just last week we were in gym and Kayla was flirting with a new British guy and we had an argument on the cute factor of guys with arguments" Lina said easily.

"Who won?" Roy asked.

"I did of course! I said she was biased because she was in love with a certain American redhead and she couldn't dispute my logic!" Lina answered.

"Well American redheads are kinda cute if you ask me" Jade said playfully. Lina grinned.

"Maybe it's a family trait, falling for red headed American heroes" Lina teased.

"Maybe" Jade agreed.

"Oh and Artemis was saying how I'm the only one on the Team without a boyfriend and my brother went all macho overprotective ness saying I didn't need one" Lina told them with more giggles.

"So you go to Gotham Academy?" Jade questioned. Lina gave Roy a hesitant look and he nodded.

"Yeah, can I trust you?" Loan asked.

"Sure kiddo. I might be an assassin but I can keep a secret. Even from my employers" Jade told her with a smirk.

"Okay!" Lina said with a smile. She took off her sunglasses and Jade stepped back in shock as she recognized Cathleen Grayson.

"But Batman is Bruce Wayne and Robin is Dick Grayson. Do they know you're a hero as well?" Jade asked.

"Rob does but Bats is still in the dark. Lee's worries that he would force her to hang up the cape" Roy explained. Jade nodded and gave Cathleen a smile.

"Your secret is safe with me" She promised. Cathleen beamed and ran over to give her a hug.

"Thanks!" Cathleen said with genuine enthusiasm. Jade smiled at Roy over Cathleen's shoulder and he gave her an approving nod. Jade was starting to see why he said that being a hero was so great.

{Thank you so so much to **thecharmedone927** and **Jenifer Rose** for your reviews. Also big thanks to **Alex876** , **DaCatoOfAdventure** , **Dark Yellow Dino** , **Hoodedgenius98** , **Jenifer Rose** , **Nightfury1010** , **NinaMinou** , **ShadowofAxios** , **Shiranai Atsune** , **35** , **misticalmaqe** , **nikkielizabeth** , **shannzieegan** , **NightmareOnElmStreetFan** and **thecharmedone927**. You guys probably don't realize it, but looking at the list of followers and favorites on my story makes me smile even when I'm super upset. The idea of even trying to write a FanFiction story would flabbergast me just a few months ago. However, I'm able to continue because I know that all of you are reading/enjoying my story. Thank you all so much! My littlest sister was being super annoying and she hid all of the TV remotes and electronics in our house. I was very close to snapping at her, but I kept my temper in check. Anyone else have annoying sibling stories? Anyways, thank you for reading! ~ Sugar }


	23. Author's note

**Hey, I've put up my three crossovers. You don't have to read any or all of them if you don't want to, but I just wanted to say that I'm not going to be able to post at all this next week. Sorry for the inconvenience ~ Sugar**


	24. Chapter 23

Cathleen was super tired when she collapsed into her bed and Dick fussed over her until Alfred finally made him leave. Cathleen had been bouncing between different dimensions for the past week but her cover story was that she had gone to a friends' house. Luckily, it had been a long weekend due to a multitude of snow days and she hadn't missed any school. Bruce had believed her lie completely and he still had no idea that she was Gray Dove. She had spent a long time talking to her brother about her adventures, but it had been hard to keep her eyes open long enough to answer his questions. He had finally let her go to bed, after realizing how exhausted she was and she had fallen asleep almost instantly after her head hit the pillow. That night she had terrible nightmares. She had learned when she was younger how to keep herself quiet when she slept because she had felt awful about waking her brother and her adoptive father up every night, her skill and in handy that night but she could not for the life of her remember what her nightmares had been about. She had woken up around one in the morning and worked on her French conjugations until she was calm again. She went back to sleep but was woken up in the same manner not thirty minutes after she had fallen back asleep. She repeated this process for a while, but eventually she gave up. She cleaned her entire room and worked to organize her books completely by author's name in alphabetical order on her shelf. She finished that and then looked for other things to do. She played with her cat, who had been a little standoffish at first due to her long absence, and enjoyed just relaxing. She didn't dare try to go back to sleep, but she checked her homework assignments and managed to get everything completed for the past week, that week, and the week after. She finally left her room and started to clean.

Usually Alfred would clean until 12:00 pm and then he would start again at 5:00am. So because it was only 3:47am, that meant that Cathleen would be alone for another hour or so. She worked systematically and dusted, mopped and swept all of the levels. She didn't dare try to vacuum since that would definitely wake up the household, but instead got to work on breakfast. She made everything she could think of making including waffles, muffins, eggs (scrambled and in omelette form), pancakes, and coffee cake. She finished with that and headed back to her room. All in all it had been a productive morning but she was still anxious to do something. She decided to work on ideas for new gadgets for the Team. She had already seen how much Wally loves his stealth mode and she was very aware of how much Connor disliked the spandex. So she tried to make several shirts that would be able to go between normal and stealth but also be very durable. She ended up with a soft material that could be flipped to show two different sides. The front side was a darker blue and the back side was a light blue. The darker side was blank but the light blue side had a red Superman insignia in the middle. She finished that and then set to work on a new idea she had. She has thought that a mix between spandex and durable materials might work very well for a speedster but she was aware of how much the two Flashes already liked their current suits. She moved the file holding that idea to the bottom of her screen so she could look at it was so bored that she finally decided that she would work on a new security program for her Gray Dove stuff. She typed quickly and triple checked each line of code. She had just finished the program and was looking for something else to do when Alfred knocked on her door. She had memorized the knocks of each of the residents of Wayne Manor and had perfected the art of recognizing them before they came into her line of view.

"Miss Cathleen. I have noticed that all of the levels are swept, mopped, and dusted. I also noticed that breakfast has already been made. Is there something I should know?" Alfred asked calmly. Cathleen blushed.

"I had a nightmare" she mumbled. He nodded his head in sympathy and led her over to the bed.

"Since I don't have to work this morning. Perhaps I can sit with you as you sleep. At least until your brother wakes up" he said with a smile. She nodded and gave him a drowsy smile as she curled up in her bed. He sat there next to her until she fell asleep and with him being there, there were no nightmares.

She woke up two hours later and got ready for school. She brushed her hair, brushed her hair, and took a few minutes choosing her outfit. She didn't have a ton of fashion sense but Artemis would get on to her if she only wore sweatpants and sweatshirts. She grabbed some black leggings and threw on a nicer jacket. Thinking that she would try to appease Artemis in some way since she had been gone for a week with no explanation. She grabbed her backpack and went downstairs to wait fit her brother. He was rushing, as always, and Cathleen was still in awe of how much food he had stuffed into his face in under two minutes. He grabbed his bag from where it was sitting in the stairs and practically ran to the car. Cathleen made a point to walk there slowly and he glared at her.

"What's up with you?" Cathleen asked.

"Nothing" he said quickly. Too quickly did her taste so she raised an eyebrow in silent question.

"None of your business" he told her. She put a hand to her chest and gasped.

"Who would have thought? My own brother? Betraying me like a common criminal?" She asked dramatically. Dick snorted and turned away. They had always been close but there were some secrets that they still kept from one another so Cathleen didn't push.

They reached the school and Cathleen laughed when her brother darted out of the car and ran into the school yard. He disappeared quickly but Cathleen wasn't paying attention because Artemis had just a tackled her. Artemis pulled her into a super tight hug and Cathleen gasped at the older girl's strength.

"Not … so … tight" she whispered. Artemis has a surprised expression and she let go of her.

"I can't believe you! You were gone for a full week and none of us had any clue as to how to find you! I knew Bats went after you but I still worried!" Artemis scolded. Cathleen rubbed her arm sheepishly as her friend ranted. Cathleen knew that it was pointless to try to interrupt her when she was upset and she knew that the anger would fizzle out after a while. Artemis ranted for a full twenty minutes and was only stopped by the first period bell. Artemis glared at her, telling her that this conversation was not over, and then turned and walked off.

The rest of Cathleen's day went pretty well until she came to lunch. Artemis was sitting at their normal table, checking her phone. Cathleen grabbed her lunch and then went to sit down. Cathleen's eyes lit up when she saw her brother walk in beside Zatanna. She sat down by Artemis and waved them over. Zatanna came up to her and gave her a hug, whispering in her ear that her civilian name was Abi Mythenter. It was a weird last name but the first name fit the girl's personality perfectly. Cathleen was about to tell her so when Artemis interrupted bringing up her rant and starting anew.

"That was the stupidest thing I've ever heard about! Why would you not tell us? You had all of us worried like there was no tomorrow! And -" Artemis droned on and on about the same things and Cathleen ignored her. Kayla came over with Leo and they seemed perfectly fine with the fact that Artemis was ranting on and on about the same things. Leo seemed a bit confused at the topic but Kayla just waved him off and told him a bogus explanation.

Artemis's ranting lasted all of lunch but she had calmed down by the end of the day. Cathleen said bye to her friends and convinced Alfred that she was going to a friend's house before taking her motorbike to Carricksvile.

Once she arrived, Lina walked inside to look around. She noticed a device on the couch and walked over to it. She read the note that was next to it and smiled.

" _Lina, this is Damian. I haven't heard from you in a few days so this tracker will let me know that you're okay. I'll be there the second you turn it on so please make sure you're decent. If the tracker doesn't activate in one month then I'm coming after you. In that case, you wouldn't have read this note but I needed to write down my plan to solidify it. Really worried for probably no reason. Your brother from another mother - Damian_ "

Lina picked up the tracker and pressed down on the top button. It made a beeping noise and lit up green.

A few minutes later, Damian was opening the door. He rushed over and pulled her into a hug.

"What was that? Leaving town for a week with no explanation? I thought we agreed that you would check in with me at least once every three days so I knew that you weren't in a coffin!" He shouted at her.

"It was unexpected and I'm sorry you worried. I didn't get home until last night and I came here as soon as I could" she told him. He pulled back and looked at her with raised eyebrows before smiling.

"I'm just glad you're okay. I patrolled the city every night thinking I would run into you but I never did. I stopped a few crimes and I never will understand how you deal with those idiot cops" he admitted. She giggled.

"They shouldn't have been a problem if you just said you were a friend of Gray Dove's, what happened?" She asked.

"They pulled their guns on me and asked who I was. I said I was looking for a friend and then I used a cheesy hero line and said that I 'couldn't let a crime go unpunished'" He told her. She held a hand to her mouth to try and smother her giggles.

"You used a cheesy hero line? Are my ears hearing this right?" She asked dramatically.

"I always wanted to be like my mother but I never knew my father. Maybe he was a hero. I did like helping out the past few days but the small city thing wouldn't be for me. I would need some action if I was ever to be a hero" he said with a smirk.

"You would find action in any city but Carricksvile. I help out where I can but this is probably the safest city in the country. A little action is amazing like you said but I can't exactly patrol Gotham without being recognized" she explained.

"I'd love to be a hero but I can't make the switch without a good reason or my mother is going to come after me to ask why" Damian admitted.

"Why don't you just find out who your father is?" Lina asked. He considered her words then nodded. His watch beeped and he told he has to go before rushing out. She rolled her eyes and turned back to face the middle of the room. She immediately noticed all of the dusty surfaces. She went about cleaning and probably spent at least two hours just cleaning everything in the Safe House. She finally collapsed onto the couch to relax for a second. She's was suddenly startled when a teenage girl appeared in front of her. The girl had her entire face covered with a mask and she was wearing a completely gray suit and gray gloves and boots. The only thing really visible of the girl was her brown hair.

"You need to listen to me very carefully" the girl said sharply. Her voice sounded altered as if it were auto tuned. Lina looked at her confused and the girl went over to sit next to her on the couch.

"I'm a friend from the future. In five days, you are going to die. I've tried everything to stop it, but to keep every hero alive, you need to die" the girl said simply. Lina furrowed her brow in concentration.

"I'm going to die? Why?" Lina asked.

"In five days, the League of Villains will attack the World Trade Center. The Justice League will all go to fight them and your Team will go with them. During the fight, one evil bastard will place a bomb in the ceiling. You will volunteer to stop it and Batman will let you. The bomb will be unhackable since it isn't a bomb, but a chemical reaction. The ingredients will already be fizzling when you get there and you will make the split second decision to throw yourself over it so that the explosion is stopped by your body. I've gone back in time multiple times but in every timeline, at least ten other heroes will die. But in the timeline where you sacrifice yourself, you are the only one who dies. You, in the future, forced me to make the hard choice. She told me to explain what would happen so that you would know to be prepared for it" the girl told Lina. Lina gasped and put a hand to her heart.

"To save others and minimize fatalities, I have to die?" Lina asked, horrified. The girl nodded and Lina slumped back into the chair.

"Thank you for making this choice. I-I didn't-I don't… I'm glad you warned me. Thanks" she whispered. The girl patted her shoulder.

"You chose this because in every timeline possible, either you or your brother dies. If he dies, he doesn't die alone. But you, if you sacrifice yourself, you are the only fatality" the girl told her sympathetically. Lina nodded because she didn't trust herself to speak. The girl stood and turned around.

"You, the future you, made the right decision. She made me promise that I would let her go, it was the hardest decision of my life" the girl told her sadly. Lina nodded and the girl gave her a small wave. There was a flash of light and suddenly the girl disappeared. Lina was silent for a moment and then she started to cry.

Later, Lina drove home on her motorbike and sneaked in. Before she went in, she took off her sunglasses and stuffed them in her bag. She made sure to step in certain places and walk in a straight line on tippy toes so that if Bruce looked back at the security camera it would look like she was just ignorant and that she had no idea how to sneak around. She finally made it to her room and closed the door slowly behind her. She waited for a second to make sure no one was in the hall and then sat down at her desk.

She pulled out pieces of paper and started writing. She poured herself into her work and devoted herself to the papers in front of her. She wrote until she had filled each paper with words and then put them in envelopes. Labeling each envelope with the proper name. She finished around ten pm am and put the envelopes in a bag. She wrote on the bag " _Dick - don't open until Saturday_ ". And then put it in a corner on her desk. She would put it in his room tomorrow and she knew that Dick, being himself, would wait until 11:59 pm on Friday to open it and then he would open it eagerly. She lay down in her bed and stared at the ceiling but felt that she couldn't sleep. She kept thinking of what the girl had told her. She had to die on Friday or her brother and at least nine other people would die. She would never let that happen if she could help it. She would do anything to save another person and the fact that it was her brother just made it that much easier to promise herself that she _would_ die on Friday, because she wouldn't let anyone else die.

She fell into a restless sleep and felt extremely tired in the morning. She put on a cheerful face and walked down to breakfast with a smile.

"Good morning!" She said fake happily. Her brother groaned at her "cheerfulness" and she gave him a bright smile. She had perfected the art of making herself look happy when she really wasn't and she was sure that no one would see through her facade. Alfred set a bowl of cereal in front of her and she gave him a smile. He smiled at her in return and turned away to walk back to the kitchen. Dick was already finishing with his bowl of cereal and he rushed to grab his stuff and hurry to the car. Cathleen went after him and sat in the seat next to him with her backpack resting by her feet. They drove in relative silence until they came up to the school and Dick jumped out and ran to meet up with Jessica again. Cathleen rolled her eyes and walked over to Artemis and Kayla who were sitting underneath a tree in a shady spot. She sat down next to them and they both greeted her with smiles. She gave them a nod of acknowledgement and pulled out her assignments for the week. She had already finished them so she was now working on an assignment for next week, even though she knew she wouldn't be there.

The day went by pretty fast but Cathleen couldn't stop thinking about what the girl had said. Cathleen tried to enjoy her day as much as possible, but deep down she felt depressed. No one noticed that because she had good acting skills, but she wished they would. She wished that someone would come running up to her and saying how much they cared about her and how much they didn't want them to die. She would be okay with their disagreement, she just desperately needed someone to confide to. She knew she couldn't change the timeline by telling someone so she kept quiet. However, her thoughts plagued her at every given moment. She went on patrol as normal and was happy to see that Fix was able to train with her.

Fox showed Lina techniques to make herself faster and it seemed that she was the only one who noticed that something was wrong.

"What is it?" Fox asked.

"I was visited by a time traveler who says I die in the next week" Lina admitted.

"What?" Fox sounded shocked and this caused her to misstep and Lina got the upper hand.

"Some villains are going to place a bomb in a public place and when my Team goes to face them I cover the blast with myself. The time traveler told me that I need to die so my brother can live. I'm resigned to the fact but I can't help but feel hesitant" Lina answered. Fox stopped fighting and motioned for her to do the same. Lina relaxed her staunch and walked over.

"You are not going to die. I have trained you for two years straight and I won't let you waste your potential" Fox said sharply.

"The time traveler said she was a friend of mine. Apparently she tried to save me and succeeded at the cost of ten lives. She tried multiple times to save everyone but in every timeline either I die or my brother and nine others die. Future me told her to warn me but to let me die because it was the only way. I would die a thousand deaths to save my brother and my friends. I know that I will do it but I feel so awful knowing that I only have a couple of days to live" Lina explained. Fox sighed.

"I'm not going to be able to save you am I? I'm an assassin and we are taught to love nothing but I have come to adore you like you were my own daughter. Damian and you are what keep me here. The mission of the League of Assassins is to kill the weak to let only the strong survive. I would disobey that a thousand times to save you and Damian but I know I can't stop you from this eventuality. I will mourn you and I hope you have the strength to tell Damian. I don't think I could tell him that you were gone" Fox said softly. Lina walked over to her bag where it was sitting on the table and pulled out two envelopes.

"These are for you and Damian. Don't open them until Saturday" Lina said with a small smile. Fox took them and put them with her stuff before walking back over.

"I'd like to spar with you one last time. Let's see if you can beat me if I don't hold back" Fox said evenly. Lina nodded and they walked over to the mat before getting into position. Then they started to fight. They lasted for at least an hour without either tiring. They both used multiple styles of fighting and it seemed pretty even for the most part. Eventually, Fox started to tire and she slowed in her punches. Lina room the opportunity to flip her mentor to the floor and held her in a locked position. Fox surrendered and stood after Lina stepped back.

"You beat me. You messed up a bit with the fast techniques but using the Savabacu moves to cover yourself was genius" Fox said with a laugh. Lian smiled and they both went over to grab water.

"Thank you" Lina told Fox. The young woman seemed confused and she elaborated.

"No one else noticed how conflicted I was and I truly needed to state my decision to an actual person. I needed to get this off my chest so thank you for listening. Take care of Damian and take care of yourself" Lina said calmly. Fix pulled her into a hug and they embraced for a full minute before Lina pulled away. She gave her mentor a smile and grabbed her bag before she walked out the door to go home.

Cathleen arrived home and walked to the Manor with a happy smile thrown onto her face. She was feeling really crappy but she didn't want her brother to find out. Alfred gave her a nod from where he was dusting a vase and she went up to give him a hug. He seemed startled, but he returned the hug easily. She stepped back and gave him another smile before running up the stairs to her room.

Once she had closed the door behind her, she realized that she had no idea what to do. She had four days until Friday. It was safe to assume that either the fight would occur after school. The World Trade Center was nowhere near Gotham and that meant that her school wouldn't let the students out early even if the attack occurred during school hours. She glanced over at the clock. She had one hours until dinner. She walked out of her room and walked down the stairs. She checked her watch and pulled up the monitor screens. She was happy to find that Bruce was in a business meeting and her brother was hanging out with Zatanna. Cathleen entered the Batcave through the old grandfather clock and looped the cameras. She had gotten very adept at sneaking into the Batcave and it was a breeze to her now. She set a timer on her phone and put some chalk on her hands before walking over to the gymnastic bars. Bruce had put them up around the time that her brother became Robin, and she often snuck down here to practice.

She started running over to the bars and jumped to meet the bar with her hands. Her momentum carried her around the bar and she twisted her hips to keep herself in motion. She spun faster and faster around the bar until she had reached a satisfactory speed. She then let go of there bar just as her feet were coming to point up to the ceiling. She tucked her limbs into her body and performed a graceful flip before shooting out her arms and grabbing the next bar. She did this multiple times until she started to feel her muscles cramping. She did one final spin and then did a triple flip to the floor. She sat down to catch her breath for a second and looked around the room.

Her eyes stopped on some robots that Bruce had been working on. There were six of them and they were meant to help Robin and himself to perfect their fighting techniques. Cathleen stood up and walked over to study them. She scanned them with her watch and read the information that popped up on the screen. Apparently, the robots were programed to predict the moves of the fighter and they worked to incapacitate the fighter. However, unlike Red Tornado, none of the robots had any feelings. They were programmed to render the fighter useless and then shut down. They up to twenty different settings and Cathleen was eager to try them out. She wanted to see how well they actually performed when faced with a smaller opponent like herself. Robin was small, but he was nowhere near as tiny as she was. She set the difficulty level to twenty and stepped back. She knew she shouldn't set the difficulty level so high, but these were robots. _What harm could it do?_

The robots walked over to the space set aside for training and Cathleen walked over to the spot in the middle marked with an x. She pushed start on the holoscreen from her watch and the robots immediately attacked her. She was startled at how fast they moved and barely had anytime to block a punch from one robot when the other two tried to land a hit from another direction. The robots were surprisingly strong and it was kind of like fighting three Superboys.

Cathleen did several flips to get herself away from the robots and worked to subdue them. She got lucky when, as she did a half somersault off of one robot. One robot tried to grab her feet and she was able to press the button on its back that shut it off. It stopped fighting immediately and walked back over to the charging station where it had been before Cathleen turned it on.

It took a while longer to turn off the other two robots, but Cathleen managed it. The robots had just settled down again in their charging stations when Cathleen's phone alarm went off. She dashed over to turn it off and went up to exit the Batcave. She dusted herself off in the hall and then walked to the dinner table. She was the first one there and she sat down at the table to look for her brother.

He came rushing down the stairs a moment later and sat down beside her with a grin.

"How was your date with Zatanna?" Cathleen asked.

"Oh she's amazing. I mean, it was amazing. We walked around the city and we stopped in the park and we did a bit of bird watching and she kissed me and it was awesome and then I walked her home and she gave me a kiss goodbye and it was just amazing" Dick rambled. Cathleen smiled at her brother and he gave a dreamy sigh.

"You sound like you're in love" she teased. She was happy, and a bit surprised, that he didn't deny it. He just gave another happy sigh. Cathleen was about to comment on this when Bruce walked up to the table.

They all had a good dinner and soon enough, Cathleen was lying on her bed looking at the ceiling. She had no idea what she was going to do this next week. She would probably go sing tomorrow afternoon, but what else. She told herself that she would figure it out tomorrow and was barely aware of Bruce pulling the blankets over her. She mumbled a thanks and he smiled. She was asleep before he had even closed the door behind him.

{I know some of you are probably super angry about the events in this chapter, but I'm not actually going to kill off Cathleen. I have a plan! Anyways, food for thought, what would you do if you were told you only had a week to live. Thank you to all of my reviewers and I am so sorry that the update took this long. We were out of town for spring break and I didn't bring my computer. Then my sister stole my laptop and accidentally downloaded a virus and it took me a while to fix it. I have google docs on my phone so I was still able to work on the story but I wasn't able to update it for y'all. Please accept my sincerest apologies ~ Sugar


	25. Chapter 24

The four days passed quickly and soon enough, it was Friday. She woke up early that morning and it felt like everything was slowed. She could feel every second beating down on her as she got dressed and went down to breakfast. Alfred had made chocolate chip pancakes and she thanked him with a long hug.

"What's the occasion, Miss Cathleen?" Alfred asked.

"No special occasion, just wanted to say thank you for everything that you've done for me and my brother" she said softly.

"Are you sure? It seems there might be something else?" Alfred said patiently. She knew he would continue to wonder, so she lied.

"I just had a bad dream and I wanted to tell you how much I love you" she answered. Ha gave her a smile.

"Miss Cathleen, I love you too" he told her. She smiled and sat down to eat. When her brother came down, she let him eat and then captured him in a hug.

"What're you doing?" Dick asked.

"Just hugging my amazing big brother" she told him innocently. When she let go of him, he checked his pockets and she couldn't help giggling.

"I didn't take anything. I just wanted to tell you I love you" she told him. He gave her a scrutinizing look before accepting her explanation and walking away to grab his backpack. Before they left, Cathleen saw Bruce walking down the stairs and she ran over to give him a hug. He returned it easily and then shooed her off to school.

Alfred drove them like usual and he dropped them off in the same spot as always. Cathleen gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and then ran to meet up with Artemis and Kayla. She got to Kayla first and hugged her friend tightly.

"Woah, what's with you kitty?" Kayla asked as she took a step back to avoid falling over.

"Nothing, just wanted to say hi to my best friend. Have I told you how thankful I am for you?" Cathleen asked.

"Not recently" Kayla teased. Cathleen smiled.

"Then let me say it again. I luv ya sis" she said happily. Kayla gave her a smile and then they broke off the hug. Cathleen sported Artemis and ran over to greet her.

"Arty! I'm so glad we're friends and I luv you" She said as she tackled her friend. Artemis stayed upright and swung her hips back so that she wouldn't spin around.

"You okay?" Artemis asked with a smile.

"Yep! Just perfect! I just wanted to tell you I'm thankful for you" she said happily. Artemis pulled Cathleen off of her and set her down.

"Well thanks. I feel the same way about you" Artemis said with an easy smile. The bell rang and Cathleen rushed to her locker. She grabbed her stuff and raced to her first class. She didn't even last one full hour before her brother pulled her out of class because there was an attack on the World Trade Center. She suited up quickly and then zetaed to the WTC. When she stepped out, she saw absolute chaos. Superman was fighting three super villains with Superboy backing him up. Batman was fighting a slew of villains with Robin. Green Arrow and Artemis were working together to pin down normal criminals. Martian Manhunter and Miss Martian were using their telepathic abilities. Red Arrow was fighting next to Rocket. Dr. Fate and Zatanna were using magic in one corner. And all the other heroes were doing their part as well. Gray Dove saw a figure in all black sneaking along the rafters and she immediately went to follow him. The man in black pressed a few buttons on a small machine and then throw it into twh air. He whistles and all the villains immediately backed away. Gray Dove knew it was the bomb and she jumped out of the rafters to grab it.

Time seemed to slow as she reached for the bomb as it slowly blew up. Gray Dove has just enough time to pull the bomb into herself before it blew up and engulfed her with a bright light. She felt weightless as her eyes closed and a warm feeling surrounded her. She smiled and then everything went white.

Her eyes snapped open and she stared at the scene in front of her with amazement. She was standing on the ground but when she looked at herself, her body was shimmery and it was slowly getting less visible. When she looked at the spot where she had been, she saw that Robin, Artemis, Red Arrow, and the rest of her team were all gathered around the spot where the bomb had gone off. There was a perfect circle of ash that was only a few feet in diameter. Inside the circle was a mask, her mask. Her Gray Dove mask looked as though it had been bleached and all the coloring was lighter. It was in good shape but that was all that was left. Cathleen could see tears running down Robin's face and Artemis looked stricken with grief. The fights ended quickly and all the superheroes came to stand around the small circle.

"What happened?" Someone asked.

"There was a man in the rafters. He threw something into the air but I didn't recognize what it was in that moment. All the villains knew to clear out but Gray Dove knew what it was. She knew it was a bomb so she covered it with her body so the blast wouldn't hit any of the heroes. There was nothing I could do, I wasn't fast enough" Kid Flash said softly. It was heartbreaking to see the sadness he was feeling and Cathleen wanted nothing more than to call out their names, to make them face her and see that she was okay. But she couldn't, she couldn't speak. She could only watch in silence as they mourned her.

"Frustrating isn't it? Watching them, I mean" A man's voice came from behind her but none of the heroes faced him. Cathleen spun around and found that he was looking at her.

"You would have died. You should have died. But your pure soul caught our attention. You were not meant to become one with us but we believe that your spirit shall help you to become the greatest there ever was" the man told her. He had a kind face and when he talked, it sounded as though he only wanted to help her.

"Who are you?" She asked, suddenly able to speak.

"We are the speed force. You've probably heard from your friend Wallace or his Uncle Barry, they draw their power from us. We were there at the beginning of time and we chose certain people to have the ability to harness their powers through us. A man experimented on his son and made his son able to manipulate the speed force in a way that is very unnatural. Each speedster is created to balance things. There will be no evil speedster without his or her equal and vice versa. The creation of a new speedster in the way he was created was wrong and evil but he himself is not. To regain the balance, we needed to put forth a speedster who is his equal. You happened to be the perfect person. You were a split second from death when we pulled you back and now we are giving you the chance to continue helping people the way you have since you were young. Do you agree to this?" The speed force man asked.

"Yes" she answered quickly. If they could bring her back, she could continue helping people and they were offering that.

"Sadly, we need you to continue your charade as the perfectly normal Cathleen Grayson. Your powers also need to develop completely before you can unlock them. The process is very tough and it will damage your body greatly. We are going to place you back in Gotham and you are going to walk into the hospital. Once you enter, give them your name. After that, you will most likely collapse. You must have at least a full week in a coma so that we can prepare your body for your powers. I apologize for any pain that you will suffer because of this" the speed force man told her. She nodded and he held out his hand.

"Whenever you are ready, Cathleen" he said calmly. She gave a small smile and stepped forward to grab his hand.

{Hey Readers! Sorry this chapter was so short! I'll try to make the next one longer. I hope you liked it and I'm going to do a shoutout to all my wonderful readers. Thank you to **DaCatoOfAdventure** , **nikkielizabeth** , **Dark Yellow Dino** , **Hoodedgenius98** , **shannzieegan** , **NinaMinou** , **Nightfury1010** , **Alex876** , **35** , **ShadowofAxios** , **Shiranai Atsune** , **35** , **misticalmaqe** , **NightmareOnElmStreetFan** , **vixen122** , **sampta** , **arrowfalicity, Zabuzasgirl** , **RayVonneAsham** , **BookXReader** , **thecharmedone927** , **Jenifer Rose** , and **CoffeCrazyChipmunk**. Thank you all so much for reading! I love y'all and it's always an amazing feeling knowing that PEOPLE are actually reading MY story. Thanks for all the reviews! ~ Sugar }


	26. Chapter 25

{ Sorry for the wait. Here's the next chapter }

 **Cathleen's POV**

She grabbed the man's hand and suddenly everything was swirling around her. She saw so many different colors that it almost blinded her. The man's hand felt warm in her hand but it suddenly disappeared as the colors stopped swirling and she recognized the hospital. The effects of her journey caught up to her and she almost collapsed from the pain. It felt like she had bruised every single part of her body and she hurt with each movement she tried to make. She managed to walk inside and the lady at the front desk saw her immediately.

"Oh sweetheart, are you alright?" The lady asked. Her eyes ran over Cathleen quickly as she shook her head.

"Cathleen Grayson Wayne" she was able to mutter. Then she felt herself falling and her vision went black right before she hit the ground. She heard voices around her yelling things like "call her parents" and "what the hell happened to her" but then those faded away too.

 **Robin's POV**

He stood at the edge of the circle on his knees. His sister was gone and he hadn't saved her. He felt like his whole world was shattering when Batman spoke.

"Robin, I got a call from the hospital. Cathleen walked in and she passed out from bruising everywhere. We need to go," Batman said softly.

"Cathleen?" Robin asked.

"Yes. She's hurt and I need to see her" Bruce answered. Robin walked slowly to the zeta and then both of the Dynamic Duo went back to Gotham. They changed out of their superhero outfits and then Bruce dragged Dick to the hospital. It felt so weird seeing everything so clean and the sharp scent of cleaning supplies was overwhelming. Bruce dragged him up the stairs and to the fourth room. When he walked in, there she was.

Cathleen was laying on the bed and she was wearing civilian clothes. She had an IV stand on her right and the monitors stood next to it. Cathleen herself looked awful. All of her skin was a mix of light purples and blues and greens. It would have looked cool if Dick had not known they were bruises. When he looked at her, she looked so fragile. As if she was just toeing the line between life and death. Her breathing was even and she looked calm. The only thing that Dick couldn't fathom was how she'd gotten here. In the second that Gray Dove had smothered the bomb with herself, Robin had scanned it. It was a white hot energy core that a weapons company had been working on. It should have burned away everything, leaving Gray Dove as a pile of ash. But she was right here. She looked awful and normally it would have killed him to see her like this, but she was alive. He watched her as she took slow breaths and her chest rose and fell. He walked over to a chair that had been set next to her bed and then he sat down. He grabbed her hand in his and prayed that she would wake up.

 **Red Arrow's POV**

He felt like the whole world had just stopped. The only thing he could hear was his own rapid breathing. Her mask, Gray Dove's mask, was just sitting there. Somehow as he looked at it, he could imagine her talking to him.

" _Get off your lazy but and go do something_ " she would say.

" _I know that I made the right decision and I saved people. That was my only goal and now I've accomplished it. You can grieve later, but you need to be strong for the rest of my family. Artemis, Dick, Bruce, Zatanna, Raquel, Kaldur, M'gann, Connor, Clark, Damian, Dianna, John, Wally, Barry, and so many others are in pain because of my decision. You, Roy Harper, are too strong to be taken down by grief. You can't save everyone, I'm just glad I saved a couple of someones. Now, go and tell my family it's not their fault. Lazy butt"_ she would tell him. He was about to follow her nonexistent orders when he heard Batman talking to Robin.

"We need to go, Robin, I got a call from the hospital. Cathleen walked in and she passed out from bruising everywhere. We need to go" Batman said quietly. Red Arrow scrunched up his face in confusion. Cathleen was at the hospital? But she'd just died! How was this even possible? The two heroes of Gotham has been gone for a full minute before Red Arrow went to the zeta beam and asked it to take him to Gotham. He arrived there and he quickly changed into some sweatpants and a sweatshirt. He took off his mask and wiped away the sweat on his forehead. He walked into the hospital and the first thing he saw was a nice lady looking up at him from the desk.

"I need to see Cathleen Grayson" he said softly. The lady nodded and gave him quick directions.

As he walked to the room, he felt an overwhelming feeling of doubt. What if it wasn't her, what if it was a trick? He pushed himself to walk into the room and then froze at the sight before him.

Cathleen was lying on the bed and Dick was holding her hand as she slept peacefully. She was completely covered in bruises, as if she had been hit from every angle possible. He watched the steady rise and fall of her chest for a while before he backed out of the room and pulled out his phone. The first person he could think to call, was Artemis.

"Hey Red, this really isn't a good time. I-" she started.

"Cathleen Grayson is in the hospital in Gotham. She looks like shit, but she's okay. I'm not lying" Roy told her quickly.

"But that's impossible. The bomb w-would have destroyed her. She-she can't be alive" Artemis said in disbelief. It hurt hearing the pain in her voice, but Roy powered through.

"She's alive. I don't know how, it's her" he assured the other archer.

"I'm on my way, and I'll bring the rest of the Team" Artemis told him. He nodded and hung up before realizing that she wouldn't have been able to see his nod through the call. He shook his head and walked back into the room. He sat down in a chair at the very back corner and watched as his friend breathed slowly.

 **Artemis's POV**

She heard the call end and immediately grabbed her stuff.

"Guys, we need to get to Gotham, Cathleen's in the hospital" she said quickly. Rocket and Kid Flash turned to look at her with confused expressions.

"How-" KF started.

"He didn't say, but we need to get there quickly" Artemis interrupted. The rest of the Team immediately got to their feet and started towards the zeta.

"Wait, Artemis, where are you going?" Green Arrow asked.

"Cathleen is in the hospital. Roy didn't say why, but I can't lose two friends in one day" she lied. Cathleen was very adamant about not telling anyone her secret, and Artemis would never betray that trust. If this really was Cathleen, then it meant that she hadn't died and Artemis has to get to the hospital as soon as possible.

Once she was through the zeta, she threw on some normal clothes and took off her mask as she ran. The rest of the Team was just a step behind her when the arrived at the hospital. The lady at the front desk took one look at them before telling them to go to the fourth room on the second floor. They all raced up the stairs and then into Cathleen's room. Seeing her, it was like a miracle from above. She was alive! She was breathing!

 **Third Person POV**

The week went on as usual and the hospital staff became used to the addition of the eight teenagers. The parents and guardians of said teenagers had let them take off a week from school so that they could stay with their friend. They did their homework in the room and it was somehow arranged for sleeping bags to be brought up to Cathleen's room so they could stay with her. They had all been overjoyed to see her alive and well, but after a week, the days started to wear them down. They were starting to lose hope, especially after they read the letters that she had left for them.

Roy was talking to the Team about how he would stay here to watch her while they went back to school when a sudden gasp startled them out of their conversation. They quickly spun around to see Cathleen sitting straight up in the bed, eyes closed and breathing heavily, as she clutched the flimsy hospital gown against her chest. The teens (and Roy) quickly ran to her side and smiled as she opened her eyes.

"What in the frickin' frackin' frick is going on?" Cathleen asked them. Her voice sounded hoarse from days of disuse and her eyes scanned them wearily as she took in their smiling faces.

"You died," Dick said softly. Cathleen looked at him with a confused expression and rolled her eyes.

"I'm pretty sure I'm alive, seeing as how I am talking to you weirdos," Cathleen told them sarcastically. Dick lunged forward and hugged her.

"I'm so glad you're okay," he whispered. When he let go of her, the other heroes gave her a ug as well and she demanded an explanation. None of them said anything for a few moments, not wanting to be the one to break the news.

"The last thing I remember is jumping after that bomb. Now somebody please tell me what happened!" Cathleen ordered.

"You jumped after the bomb and none of us were able to stop you," Roy told her quietly.

"You covered the blast with yourself and it exploded while you were still high up in the air," Artemis added softly.

"The fight finished and then we all realized that you weren't there," Connor spoke next, his voice a bit louder but still quieter than he would normally talk.

"There was a circle of ashes and your mask was in the middle of it. That was all that was left," Zatanna admitted.

"Batman got a call saying you were in the hospital and Red Arrow overheard," Kaldur said, it was obvious to all of them how he was trying to keep his voice even.

"He followed the Dynamic Duo back here and then called Artemis when he saw you were actually alive," M'gann said sadly.

"All of us came here and we found that you had walked into the hospital in civilian clothes, your whole body beaten up," Wally told her, a hint of guilt showing in his voice.

"We found your letters," Raquel said next. Cathleen cringed at that and opened her mouth.

"I had a dream that I was going to die and I put those in Dick's room before school. I didn't say anything because I didn't want anyone to worry," Cathleen answered their unspoken question.

They all talked about what had gone on while Cathleen was in a coma and then left to let her get some sleep.

 **Cathleen's POV**

She had lied.

She told them she didn't remember anything and that the letters were a result of a silly nightmare. That was incorrect. The time traveler wasn't just a nightmare and she remembered everything. She remembered the man in the white light and how she had been transported to the hospital. She remembered telling the nurse her name and that was when everything stopped. It felt like her brain had just pushed fast forward and suddenly she was waking up in the hospital, a week later. The man from the speed force had told her what would occur, but she hadn't been prepared to miss the whole week. Yes, she had understood that she would have to sleep through the whole week or more, but she hadn't actually thought about it or mentally prepared herself for it. Now, she had to wait for the new speedster to pop up. She had gotten a second chance and she wasn't going to go back on her promise.

{ Alright, that's the end of this story. Not sure if anyone is actually too disappointed because my writing is absolute crap but thanks to anyone who actually read through to the end. I have a bunch of ideas for how I want the next story in Cathleen's life to go, but I don't really have it all organized yet. I'm probably not going to post the sequel until next year so I'm sorry about that, but it will give me time to work on my ideas and come up with longer chapters. Thank you to anyone who read my story! I promise I will put up a sequel ~ Sugar}


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